With great applause, music and heartfelt words, the city of Aachen yesterday (Thursday, November 13) honored students as part of "Wir in Aachen. We support our young, committed talents" for their above-average social commitment, outstanding musical, artistic or cognitive achievements. The young people are honored individually, but sometimes also as a group. Schools nominate them for the award before a jury selects them.

Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons welcomed the students to the packed Coronation Hall and emphasized: "You are all living examples of what makes our city special: diversity, joie de vivre and social commitment. That is something we as a city have to say thank you for. Because without their commitment, this city would be poorer - less colorful, less diverse, less interesting."

This year, 126 children, teenagers and young adults were honored. These included 22 individual awards, eleven groups of pupils and two pupils whose awards from last year were made up for. The commitment of the honorees is as diverse as the pupils themselves: Activity in the student council, above-average performance in the "Jugend musiziert" competition, commitment against discrimination or participation in the laying of stumbling blocks. The group honors include, for example, sports assistants, cultural ambassadors and event technicians. Heinrich Brötz, Councillor for Education, Youth and Culture, together with Lord Mayor Dr. Ziemons, took over the ceremonial honouring and thanked the pupils: "We talk so much about democracy, the common good and solidarity. One thing is to talk about it, the other is to do it. This is what you do every day at our schools and is a core element of our urban society."

In addition to pupils from Aachen schools, young adults who are currently studying for a degree at the VHS Aachen college were also honored. The school orchestra of the Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium and two musicians from the Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium provided the musical accompaniment to the ceremony.

Individual lessons:

• Anouk Stollenwerk, 4th Aachen Comprehensive School (social commitment)
• Leon André Prümper, 4th Aachen Comprehensive School (social commitment)
• Niklas Ehemann, Einhard-Gymnasium (cognitive performance)
• Mia Dreher, Einhard-Gymnasium (cognitive performance)
• Bennet Laven, Einhard-Gymnasium (cognitive performance)
• Lina Roßkamp, Brand Comprehensive School (social commitment)
• Marie Burghoff, Brand Comprehensive School (social commitment)
• Salma Achoukhi, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium (social commitment)
• Elena Sobennikova, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium (cognitive performance)
• Gabriel Bamber, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium (social commitment)
• Luisa Backhaus, Inda-Gymnasium (artistic achievement)
• Alexander Wiefering, Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium (cognitive performance)
• Angel Joy, Käthe Kollwitz School (cognitive performance)
• Farah Alhaj Ayoub, Käthe Kollwitz School (social commitment)
• Haneen Zandnan, Käthe Kollwitz School (social commitment)
• Jennifer Schäfer, Käthe Kollwitz School (social commitment)
• Ravir Kaur, Käthe Kollwitz School (cognitive performance)
• Amadeo Thelenberg, Maria Montessori Comprehensive School (cognitive performance)
• Sariyya Aysel Hasanova, vhs College (cognitive performance)
• Peter Paul Schoof, vhs College (social commitment)
• Subsequent honor from 2024: Marie Schmitz, Pius-Gymnasium (social commitment)
• Subsequent honor from 2024: Carla Weber, Pius-Gymnasium (social commitment)

Group honors:

• Three groups from the 4th Aachen comprehensive school (social commitment)
• A group from Brand comprehensive school (social commitment)
• A group from GHS Aretzstraße (social commitment)
• A group from Inda-Gymnasium (social commitment, cognitive performance)
• Three groups from the Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium (social commitment, artistic achievement)
• A group from the Pius-Gymnasium (social commitment)
• A group from St. Leonhard High School (social commitment)