• In his speech, the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia warned: "Today, democracy as such is under pressure in Europe and worldwide. The new systemic conflict is democracy versus autocracy."
• More than 200 guests attended this year's coronation banquet, which the Rathausverein organized in 2002 together with the Hotel Quellenhof and sponsors to commemorate the sumptuous banquet at the coronation of Charles V in 1520.
• Thanks to this commitment and the willingness of the people of Aachen to donate, the Rathausverein has now collected around two million euros for the preservation and restoration of Aachen's town hall.

Enjoy culinary delights at a high level and support the Aachen Town Hall Association at the same time: That was once again the idea behind this year's Aachen Coronation Banquet, which took place on Friday, October 24, in the Coronation Hall of Aachen Town Hall. Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, gave the speech. A special honor for him: "European history is reflected in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall: Where German kings held their coronation banquet in the Middle Ages, our liberal democracy is tangible today. Democratic debates and European encounters take place here, first and foremost the awarding of the Charlemagne Prize for 75 years. Aachen and its town hall thus stand for European values in the best possible way - respect for human dignity and democracy, freedom, equality and the rule of law."

Dr. Michael Ziemons, the designated Chairman of the Town Hall Association, welcomed the guests to the Coronation Hall. He emphasized the importance of the association's work: "Anyone who has ever stood here in the Coronation Hall knows that the Aachen Town Hall sounds. It sounds like history, it sounds like Europe, it sounds like home. This melody must be preserved. The Aachen Town Hall Association has been doing this in a special way for many years."

A "turning point"
In his speech, Wüst addressed the particular challenges of our time. He presented the declining trust of the population as a breeding ground for growing populism and emphasized: "Today, democracy as such is under pressure in Europe and worldwide. The new systemic conflict is democracy versus autocracy. The term 'turning point' sums up the current situation very well and this is a challenge for us."

A successful, resilient and strong democracy
The state must keep three basic promises in order to regain trust in it: Internal and external security, prosperity for all and advancement through education. These three promises were central to Germany's reconstruction phase after the Second World War. In order to make good on them, fundamental decisions were needed. He concluded his speech with a hopeful conclusion: "I am convinced that it can be done. We can create new trust in the state's ability to act and thus ensure that our democracy remains successful, resilient and strong in the future."

Two million euros for Aachen Town Hall
The Town Hall Association developed the Coronation Banquet in 2002 as a reminder of the sumptuous meal at the coronation of Charles V in 1520 together with the Hotel Quellenhof and the financial support of reliable sponsors. Thanks to this commitment and the willingness of the people of Aachen to donate, the Rathausverein has since raised around two million euros for the preservation and restoration of Aachen's town hall.

Restoration of the sculpture group and augmented reality in the town hall
Numerous projects have already been realized in and around the town hall. The deputy chairman of the Rathausverein, Professor Dr. Harald Müller, gave an overview of the current projects. For example, further parts of the group of figures in the town hall façade have been restored. The restoration of these will be paused next year so that the town hall can be admired without scaffolding during the World Equestrian Games in Aachen. The association would also like to implement a new idea: Guided tours of the town hall with the help of augmented reality glasses, thereby allowing visitors to experience Aachen's history in a new way.

Enjoyment and music at the highest level
The four-course menu for this year's coronation banquet once again came from the kitchen of Dorn Catering & Events. A classic menu with meat and fish was served, as well as a vegetarian menu. As always, the coronation wine came from the Pro-Idee wine cellar. However, the coronation banquet is not only known for its culinary delights in an extraordinary ambience, but also for its first-class entertainment program. As usual, it was performed at the very highest level by prizewinners of the German Foundation for Musical Life - this year by Clara Yuna Friedensburg and Arne Zeller (both violoncello), who performed works by Joseph Haydn, Julius Klengel and Jean-Baptiste Barrière.