Press releases

On Tuesday, February 18, four colleagues accepted the "Appreciation of Customs" medal on behalf of the Aachen city company in the Düsseldorf state parliament. The President of the State Parliament, André Kuper, awards this medal to volunteers for their services to carnival customs. The Aachen municipal company received the medal for its commitment to carnival. "Traditionally, the streets in Aachen are cleaned by the respective municipal cleaning services after the parades. The employees responsible for cleaning are carnival enthusiasts themselves and are not able to enjoy the parades on the big days, but have been working for our carnival tradition for decades. The award is intended as recognition and a sign of appreciation for these people, whom we affectionately call the Orange Sparks," reads the laudation from the Aachen Carnival Festival Committee.

Deputy Operations Manager Marlon Knops expressed his thanks for the award: "We are delighted and honored that the Aachener Stadtbetrieb was presented with this special medal by the NRW state parliament this year at the suggestion of the board of the Aachener Karneval e.V. festival committee. For our colleagues, it is a great recognition and appreciation of their varied and important work in the run-up to and during the carnival days." Together with Jürgen Graff from the city cleaning department, Markus Cabello-Parra, responsible for road maintenance and traffic facilities, and Dieter Bohn, head of the city cleaning department, he accepted the medal on behalf of over 800 colleagues.

A total of 17 personalities and clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia received the medal. They were nominated by the carnival associations in the state. The state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia honored the deserving carnivalists for the 11th time. "Carnival in North Rhine-Westphalia is more than just a tradition - it is a living expression of our identity, our culture and our togetherness. In a world shaken by crises such as the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, we cultivate community, joy and customs locally. Carnival is rooted in all regions of our country. And this is thanks to the many volunteers who preserve the tradition with passion and dedication. Their tireless work in the clubs and associations deserves the highest recognition. They are the good souls of our society - during the fifth season and beyond," congratulated Kuper. Together with Vice President Rainer Schmeltzer, Vice President Berivan Aymaz and Vice President Christof Rasche, he presented the honorees with their certificates and the Order of the State Parliament.