Press releases

At the City of Aachen’s Children’s Forum on Tuesday, July 15, 2026, elementary school students shared their ideas and concerns with politicians and city officials, demonstrating great creativity and asking clear questions. For the first time, an interview format was tested to make the exchange between children, politicians, and administrative officials even more direct and lively. The event took place at the Super C at RWTH Aachen University.

The annual meeting of the Children’s Forum—a special session of the Citizens’ Forum political committee—focused on four proposals from Aachen elementary schools. The Dreieins Elementary School advocated for safe routes to school, while the GGS Richterich addressed the traffic situation around its school. The Karl-Kuck-Schule campaigned for a sunshade in its schoolyard, and the KGS Hanbruch presented the idea of a “friendship bench.” The children presented their concerns in creative ways and asked questions of the relevant city department. In addition to the schools that submitted proposals, children from the GGS Am Fischmarkt and the KGS Birkstraße also participated in the Children’s Forum and actively contributed to the discussion.

“The Children’s Forum shows how important it is to give children the opportunity to share their perspectives at an early age. Today we saw just how vibrant democratic participation can be when children, politicians, and government officials engage in direct dialogue with one another,” emphasizes Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons.

The children took advantage of the direct dialogue with the relevant city officials to get answers to their questions and work together to resolve outstanding issues. The other participating children also contributed their own ideas. This led to a lively dialogue that focused on the children’s perspectives and highlighted how important their participation is for the city’s development.

All of the proposals presented at the Children’s Forum met with strong approval from the administration and policymakers, much to the children’s delight. The relevant political body recommended implementing the proposals, thereby paving the way for the next steps. The administration is keeping the children informed about the next steps, thereby demonstrating that their participation does not end with the event but is part of an ongoing democratic process.

The City of Aachen would like to thank all the children who participated, the dedicated schools, the staff of the relevant department, and the elected officials for their involvement and for their excellent preparation of the 2026 Children’s Forum.