This notable deviation point in the border is the Melatenwiese. In the Middle Ages, after the Crusades, people returned with a terrible disease: leprosy. The lepers had to stay outside the borders of the provincial city of Aachen in a camp on this meadow. They were left to their fate there. The dead were buried at the end of this meadow. If lucky, the lepers could occasionally come to the outskirts to beg for food. With a hood over their heads and a bell in their hands so anyone from afar could hear they were approaching. No one wanted this ground in border deals. Everyone was afraid of the leprosy-infested soil. That is why this point has always remained in German hands.
Meaning of Melaten:
Melaten, after the French Malade, was the name given to lepers returning from the Crusades in the Middle Ages. The name derives from mal'ladre, the "disease of Lazarus". Melaten were banished to places outside of cities. They were left to their fate there for fear of contagion. This Melatenwiese dates from that time. Later, Melaten Hospitale was established to take care of the lepers. Today's RWTH campus is located where the Melaten Hospital was located. Gut Melaten is a former infirmary and medieval leprosarium. Until 1550 it served as a quarantine station for lepers and lepers. It is also known as the Aachen Leper House (Leprosorum Aquensis Leodiensis Diocesis).