The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen and this year's Charlemagne Prize winner, Ursula von der Leyen, are supporting the outstanding commitment of the German Trauma Foundation with project prize money of half a million euros.

The foundation is supported in its pioneering work in trauma care and the protection of children. The awarding of the project prize money underlines the social dimension of the European idea pursued by the Charlemagne Prize and promotes the commitment to the mental health of the most vulnerable members of society.

The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen awards an annual project prize money of one million euros to charitable pro-European projects. Funding decisions are made by the Charlemagne Prize on the recommendation of the respective prize winners. The aim is to strengthen pro-European commitment, emphasize common values and spread the European idea beyond Aachen.

This year's Charlemagne Prize winner Dr. Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) and the Charlemagne Prize are awarding 500,276.25 euros to the German Trauma Foundation. Funding will be provided for her outstanding commitment to better trauma care and the protection and mental health of children and young people - both nationally and internationally in education, research and networking. The German Trauma Foundation networks medicine, psychology, social work and politics in Europe to improve the care of people with mental and physical trauma. It strengthens the interaction between body and mind in treatment and facilitates access to qualified, comprehensive help.

The prize money will primarily be used to implement two central European projects developed and personally managed by Professor Dr. Jörg M. Fegert, University Hospital Ulm, President of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and founding member of the German Trauma Foundation:

• Training series for Ukrainian professionals in mental health care:
  In close cooperation with UNICEF Ukraine, ESCAP (European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and the Mental Health Coordination Center of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, Ukrainian professionals are receiving targeted training to better support children, young people and families who have been traumatized by the war. The existing online formats are being expanded and supported by international experts. The aim is to establish a stable network of psychosocial experts in Ukraine in the long term.
• Child protection in a digital world:
  The project responds to the increasing challenges that children and young people experience through digital media - such as cyberbullying, sexualized violence online or exploitative online structures. In cooperation with the German Society for Child Protection in Medicine (DGKiM), Dazugehören e.V. and the Baden-Württemberg Competence Center for Child Protection in Medicine at Ulm University Hospital, a European "Guidance Paper" and practice-oriented e-learning modules are being developed and disseminated throughout Europe via the ESCAP professional association. These measures are intended to help professionals recognize digital risks at an early stage and effectively protect affected children.

Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2025, explains her decision to award the prize money: "The Charlemagne Prize stands for Europe and its people. The project prize money is intended to support Ukrainian children who have been deeply traumatized by Russia's cruel war of aggression. The German Trauma Foundation is doing great work for the children here."

Dr. Jürgen Linden, Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors, and Professor Dr. Thomas Prefi, Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Foundation, confirm the joint decision: "The funding of the German Trauma Foundation shows how European solidarity, science and humanitarian commitment work together - an exemplary contribution to resilience, empathy and cohesion, especially in crises. We will announce the other recipients of the project prize money in due course."

Professor Dr. Markus Huber-Lang, President of the German Trauma Foundation, commented on the funding: "The German Trauma Foundation would like to thank its patron, President Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, and the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen for this special award. This great gesture encourages us all. We would also like to thank Professor Fegert for his tireless efforts and the implementation of these two important projects."

About the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen

The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, which was awarded for the first time in 1950, is the oldest and best-known prize awarded to personalities or institutions that have rendered outstanding services to Europe and European unification. For more than 75 years, the prize and its laureates - from the founding fathers of Europe to the hopeful visionaries and key figures of integration to those who played a key role in East-West rapprochement, the builders of democratic institutions and the crisis managers of our time - have reflected the history and integration of post-war Europe. Previous winners include personalities such as Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet, Jacques Delors, Simone Veil, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, António Guterres, Volodymyr Selenskyj and, in 2025, Ursula von der Leyen. The award ceremony takes place every year on Ascension Day in Aachen's Coronation Hall. Benefiting from a generous donation from the private DSA Schäfer-Schulz Foundation, the Charlemagne Prize has been awarding annual project prize money of one million euros for charitable and pro-European projects in consultation with the prize winner since 2025.