The inner city district around Dahmengraben and Holzgraben is experiencing a spirit of optimism: on Saturday, 6 September 2025, the newly formed street community of traders is holding its first street festival. From 12 noon to 6 p.m., visitors can expect a variety of attractions for young and old - including face painting, culinary delights, stalls, games and fun.

In recent years, Dahmengraben has been confronted with numerous challenges, in particular an increasing number of vacancies. With the aim of improving the local situation as quickly and noticeably as possible, the city of Aachen, local retailers and property owners have been working even more closely together, networking and exchanging ideas since the spring. The measures - from the revitalization of vacant spaces and new furniture to the promotion of campaigns and temporary initiatives - are bundled by the city in a cross-departmental "task force" for the Dahmengraben and Holzgraben. This works together with local stakeholders to improve the quality of life and attractiveness of the district.

Horst Recker, owner of the "SONNENTOR" store and a spokesperson for the community, says of the development: "We can clearly feel the upward trend in our street. It's great to see how new life and new businesses are moving into our neighborhood and how we are growing together as a community. Our street party on September 6 is a visible sign that we can achieve more together."

In March 2025, the city council invited the traders and owners to an internal street conference to bring everyone together. One key result: the long-established and new traders on Dahmengraben and Holzgraben have joined forces as an interest group to join forces and drive forward joint campaigns.

City Manager Kai Hennes, who is coordinating the measures surrounding the task force, reports: "When we invited people to the first street conference in March 2025, the situation here was very different: Today, it's as different as night and day. There was a lot of commitment from both the city and the retailers to develop solutions together. I am very pleased that the work of the task force together with the local community has already produced such positive results."

Fortunately, there have already been numerous new openings, particularly on Dahmengraben, four of which were supported by the city's Ladenliebe funding program. Just in time for the street festival, the "Aachen Unverpackt" store is now opening its doors on Dahmengraben. There's also something new above the street: colorful lanterns and a large banner on the overhead spans create an atmospheric ambience - made possible by the city's "Oecher Perlen" fund.

But the street festival is just the beginning: in the coming months, the city will continue to upgrade the square on Holzgraben. New, high-quality seating islands and more greenery are planned, which will improve the quality of the area.