The THOUET Dialect Prize of the City of Aachen is awarded to individuals or institutions who have rendered outstanding services to the promotion and preservation of the Aachen dialect - the Öcher Platt.
Price and history
For a long time, Öcher Platt had a hard time being accepted in social life. It was labeled as "indelicate" and many locals only dared to speak it in small circles. And this despite the fact that many people were committed to preserving Öcher Platt.
Unhappy with this situation, in 1985 the then Prince of Carnival Christophe I. Thouet came up with the idea of honoring this commitment with a prize. This idea became the THOUET dialect prize.
It is awarded to people or institutions who have rendered outstanding services to the promotion and preservation of the Aachen dialect - the Öcher Platt.
The prize is endowed with 1,000 euros and is traditionally awarded on Epiphany, January 6, in the Coronation Hall of the town hall.
A special form of the prize is the Drei-Königs-Kette. It is awarded to people who have rendered outstanding services to the Öcher Platt. This award was presented for the first time in 1993.
Since 2001, the prize has been awarded in conjunction with the city of Aachen to emphasize the appreciation of this tradition.
The association THOUET Mundartpreis der Stadt Aachen e.V. was founded in 2011. The aim of the association is to promote and support the Aachen dialect by awarding prizes. It also promotes and supports the reappraisal of Aachen's linguistic heritage, its publication and dissemination at various levels and encourages people to use their native language.
Previous award winners
- 2022 - Albert Henrotte
- 2020 - Markus Dederichs
- 2019 - Elfriede Schultz
- 2018 - Dieter Böse
- 2017 - Gerhard Dünnwald
- 2016 - Markus Krings
- 2015 - Leo Bardenheuer
- 2014 - Dieter Kaspari
- 2013 - Ina Gröbner
- 2012 - Herbert K. Oprei
- 2011 - René Brandt
- 2010 - Bernd Büttgens
- 2009 - Manfred Savelsberg
- 2008 - Father Georg Mießen OSB and Deacon Manfred Oslender
- 2007 - Ägid Lennartz
- 2006 - Gerd & Christel Leuchtenberg
- 2005 - Dr. Karl Allgaier
- 2004 - Uwe Brandt
- 2003 - Capella a Capella
- 2002 - Gitta Haller
- 2001 - Leo Lamm
- 2000 - Günther Kerkhoffs and the pupils of the Brand market school
- 1999 - Richard and Ulrich Wollgarten
- 1998 - Dr. Manfred Birmans
- 1997 - Hein Engelhardt
- 1996 - Hubert Crott
- 1995 - Willi Becker family
- 1994 - Herbert Havertz
- 1993 - Gottfried Creutz
- 1992 - Dr. Jürgen Linden
- 1991 - Hans Alt
- 1990 - Franz Baumann
- 1989 - This Kluck and Hildegard Barner
- 1988 - Teacher AG Öcher Platt
- 1987 - Öcher Platt association
- 1986 - Öcher Schängche
- 1985 - Old Aachen stage
3-King chain carrier (special form of prize)
- 1993 - Hans Hahn
- 1995 - Heini Mercks
- 1998 - Matthias Stevens
- 2002 - Ulla Schmidt (former Federal Minister)
- 2015 - Hubert Herpers
- 2017 - Caroline Reinartz († 2017)