Press releases

Today, on the “eleventh of the eleventh,” at exactly 11:11 a.m., Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons and Aachen’s designated carnival royalty shouted “Oche Alaaf” three times in the foyer of Aachen City Hall. Together with the president of the Aachen Carnival Festival Committee (AAK), Frank Prömpeler, and the president of the Aachen Carnival Association (AKV), Dr. Andre Freese, as well as the director of the Aachen Children’s Carnival (AKiKa), Thomas Jägerberg, Ziemons welcomed the designated Aachen Carnival Prince for 2027, Max I. Prömpeler, as well as the designated Fairy-Tale Prince, Joost I. Peters, and the district carnival royalty.

Under the motto “With Aachen spirit, let’s celebrate with great fanfare—young and old alike—for a lifetime,” the 2026/27 anniversary season is now officially open. Ziemons thanked the active carnival participants: “Above all, I think it’s great that so many groups and clubs have come. It’s really wonderful to celebrate Carnival in Aachen—and best of all, together. Separated by colors, united by love—that’s Aachen Carnival!”

“Children, adults, dialect, music, customs, and tradition,” Prömpeler explained, “all of these embody this year’s carnival theme.” Prince-elect Max I also emphasized, with his song “Forever a Team,” how important communal celebration and solidarity are in the Aachen Carnival. Afterward, Prince-elect Joost I also performed a song.

When Prince-designate Max I appointed the mayor as an aide-de-camp to the Court of Honor at the conclusion of the ceremony, the mayor accepted the medal with visible delight and expressed his gratitude: “Thank you very much! It is a great honor to become part of the Court of Honor today. I’m looking forward to the session together—to the laughter, the music, and above all, to the camaraderie that makes the Aachen Carnival so special.”

Also in attendance were various representatives of the Aachen Carnival, the Aachen Carnival Association (AKV), the Elferrat and Senate, the Aachen Carnival Festival Committee (AAK), the Aachen Children’s Carnival Working Committee (AKiKa), as well as the presidents and commanders of the clubs represented in the AAK.