In 1997, seeking to strengthen the idea of the Charlemagne Prize, Mayor Dr. Jürgen Linden and the Chair of the Charlemagne Prize Board, Consul Hugo Cadenbach, created the ‘Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen.’ Since 2005, the foundation has been under the patronage of the leaders of Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria and Germany. The foundation’s committees include political, economic and cultural figures from all over Europe.

In addition to conferring the prizes, these figures provide extra incentives for European unity. To this end, among other things, the foundation established two new discussion forums: the ‘Charlemagne Prize Discussion’ in the European Parliament in Brussels, and the ‘Charlemagne Prize Forum on Europe,’ which takes place in Aachen the day before the award ceremony.

Together with the European Parliament, the foundation also awards the ‘European Charlemagne Youth Prize.’