• The Aachen Coronation Banquet has traditionally taken place in October in the Coronation Hall of Aachen Town Hall for many years.
• The evening's keynote speaker will be Dr. Géza Andreas von Geyr, who represents Germany at NATO.
• Before and after the keynote speech, guests can look forward to musical impressions by prizewinners of the German Foundation for Musical Life.

"Europe in the midst of numerous crises" - nobody can avoid this key topic at the moment. That is why the Aachen Coronation Banquet 2024 on October 25 is dedicated to precisely this topic. The evening's keynote speaker will be Dr. Géza Andreas von Geyr, who represents Germany at NATO.

The CV of the historian, who was born in Bavaria in 1962, makes for fascinating reading: he studied in Munich, spent time abroad in the USA and then joined the diplomatic service. After working in Morocco and Brussels as well as in the Foreign and Security Policy Department at the Federal Chancellery, he then became ambassador in Moscow. From 2019 to 2023, von Geyr will head the German mission in Russia before moving to NATO in Brussels. A CV that promises exciting first-hand political insights - especially in the current political situation. Von Geyr can explain Putin's Russia without wanting to "understand" it.

For many years, the Aachen Coronation Banquet has traditionally taken place in October in the Coronation Hall of Aachen Town Hall. This year is no exception. In memory of the sumptuous meal at the coronation of Charles V in 1520, the Aachen Town Hall Association, together with the Hotel Quellenhof and the financial support of reliable sponsors, developed a modern and contemporary coronation banquet over 20 years ago. The idea: enjoy culinary delights at the highest level and support the Rathausverein Aachen at the same time.

The evening starts at around 6 p.m. with a champagne reception in the White Hall and the Werkmeister Court. Afterwards, an opulent four-course menu is served in the Coronation Hall. The menu includes Eifel smoked char or smoked beet, each with burrata, kefir and fresh herbs, followed by a braised cauliflower soup and, for the main course, either veal shoulder "36 hours" with pumpkin and celeriac or - as a vegetarian option - marinated tofu with yellow beetroot, pea puree and saffron chips. The menu is topped off with a Karlsschmarrn with vanilla sauce, colorful berries and apple sauce. And yes, this year there will once again be the large silver candlesticks on the tables, which were missed by some last year. The final event will be the night café from 11 p.m., once again in the lower rooms.

However, the Coronation Banquet is not only known for its culinary delights in an extraordinary setting, but also for its first-class entertainment program. Before and after the speech, guests can look forward to musical impressions. As usual, this will be performed at the very highest level by prizewinners of the German Foundation for Musical Life - this year by Elias David Moncado (violin) and Simon Haje (piano). They will place Debussy at the center of their performances.

The town hall association is expecting around 200 guests at this year's coronation banquet. Anyone interested in attending on October 25 can contact the city's protocol department at kroenungsmahl@mail.aachen.de. It is also possible to register directly online at www.rathausverein-aachen.de/kroenungsmahl.