Press releases

The city of Aachen is one of the most significant historical sites in Germany and Europe. It has shaped European history since the 8th century and continues to preserve an extraordinary cultural heritage to this day. With the Historic City Hall in the heart of the city, Aachen boasts a central hub for history, education, and cultural experiences that attracts numerous visitors each year. To support the development of a virtual journey through time in the Coronation Hall, the NRW Foundation is now providing the Förderverein Rathaus Aachen e. V. with funding of up to 250,000 euros. During an on-site visit, the president of the NRW Foundation, Eckhard Uhlenberg, presented the grant certificate.

“Aachen City Hall is a remarkable site of European history that brings the past to life for people of all generations. Through this funding, we hope to help further develop the presentation of history using modern technologies and to inspire a passion for history. The project combines cultural heritage with innovative digital possibilities and creates an extraordinary experience for visitors,” said Eckhard Uhlenberg.

With this planned project, the Aachen City Hall Association aims to expand its existing educational offerings to include a digital journey through time. Using augmented reality, the historic Coronation Hall will become a venue for interactive historical experiences. To this end, visitors will be provided with AR glasses. A speaker is built into the temples of the glasses, allowing visitors to hear the voices of the animated characters and the entire soundscape. This way, the real surroundings remain visible and are supplemented by virtual elements. The playful and accessible nature of the experience is designed to appeal particularly to younger people. “With this project, we can bring a significant site of European history to life. There will be seven stations in the Coronation Hall where visitors can experience exciting scenes from various eras in augmented reality. This makes us the first city in Germany to implement something like this with such technical perfection. We are therefore very grateful to the NRW Foundation for its support,” emphasized Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons.

Since its founding in 1986, the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation has funded nearly 4,000 nature and culture projects with a total of approximately 340 million euros. It receives funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, lottery proceeds from Westlotto, membership dues from its support association, and donations. For more information, visit www.nrw-stiftung.de and listen to the “Förderbande” podcast.