The voice of the region is celebrating! And that's true in many ways: Not only because a choir specially assembled with readers for the 80th anniversary of the Aachener Zeitung (AZ) provided a brilliant finale to a festive gala at the Aachen Theatre. The AZ is truly the voice of the region in the truest journalistic sense.
This was clearly evident in the atmospheric, informative, entertaining, and even moving event at the completely sold-out city theatre, through spoken word and musical performances, impressive videos, and the enthusiastic applause of the audience. The importance of the regional newspaper with all its current capabilities was underscored, and the evening's motto, "80 Years of the AZ – Onward and Upward," was well chosen.
The gala, opened by Mediahuis Aachen CEO Andreas Müller, featured appearances by, among others, the nationally renowned European politicians Martin Schulz and Armin Laschet, both from the region; Nathanael Liminski, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Media; Christian Schneider, Executive Director of UNICEF Germany; and Elena Tzavara, the theater's artistic director. Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Mediahuis Group, was interviewed by AZ Editor-in-Chief Thomas Thelen.
A film generated by AI about the beginnings of the Aachener Volkszeitung in the spring of 1946 caused quite a stir. AZ Deputy Editor-in-Chief Amien Idries traveled back in time, becoming an eyewitness to those early days. AZ Video Editor Bernhard Felker explained the technology and provided context for the project. The story of Joel Rombey, who has been supported by the AZ's charity "People Helping People" since a tragic accident in 2014, was particularly moving. He spoke in a video report, while his father, Michael Schneider, and AZ reporter Christoph Pauli gave a presentation on stage. Michael Mies, who has worked as a delivery person for the AZ since 1992, also received a standing ovation and came on stage representing some 700 delivery drivers.
The evening was moderated by AZ editors Ines Kubat and Bernd Büttgens, and Kian Tabatabaei interviewed politicians Laschet and Schulz with Kubat. Video messages of congratulations from all the Mediahuis locations, from Dublin to Antwerp, Amsterdam, Maastricht, and Luxembourg, fluttered onto the screen, and the musical accompaniment was provided by the flawlessly performing Public Peace Band from Aldenhoven. The choir was prepared by Aachen singer Tanja Raich, and musician Christoph Eisenburger conducted the powerful ensemble that evening.
More about the gala at www.aachener-zeitung.de
Click here for the video report
Relive the evening
Extensive online report with many pictures
