District Administrator Patrik Lauer calls for active participation from the villages in the Saarlouis district: "Every day I am able to see how much innovation and energy is present in our villages. This is mainly thanks to the people on site who tirelessly commit themselves to their village, engage in clubs, and advance great projects. It is precisely this dedication that the village competition aims to highlight and honor. I look forward to the participation of many village communities and their forward-looking and creative ideas. Over 50 villages, localities, or districts can take part in the Saarlouis district. It would be great if as many as possible join in. Get involved!"
Villages as well as communities of neighboring villages with up to 3,000 inhabitants can participate. The initiative to take part can come from local and municipal councils as well as from clubs or initiatives. Registration for the competition at the district of Saarlouis is very simple. Contact person is Monika Lambert-Debong (umwelt@kreis-saarlouis.de, phone 06831 444 69 110). She is happy to assist and answer questions about registration or the competition in general.
At the end of June 2025, the participating villages will be visited and evaluated by a professional jury. The focus is on civic engagement. All aspects of village development will be assessed: social facilities, cultural offerings, a vibrant club life, issues of local supply, digitalization and mobility, adaptation to climate change, a careful approach to nature and the environment, attractive design of public green spaces and private gardens, as well as responsible building design and, of course, economic aspects. The winning village or villages will be sent to the state competition and evaluated by the state jury in autumn 2025. The federal jury's visit will take place at the winning villages on the state level in 2026.
Each competition level offers attractive prize money. The participating villages in the Saarlouis district receive a bonus of €500 as recognition for their participation. The winning village or villages at the district level will also receive honorary medals and a prize money of €1,000. District Administrator Patrik Lauer additionally awards a special prize of €500 for an outstanding project in the participating villages.
District Administrator Lauer emphasizes that participating in the competition, regardless of placement, is already a gain for the residents of the villages: “People come together to develop perspectives for their own village, for their place of living, and to implement them collectively. The village competition initiates and drives processes that continue to be sustainably maintained even afterwards. ‘Our village has a future’ strengthens the sense of community and the community experience.”
You can find the call for participation with detailed information about the district competition in the Saarlouis district of the 28th federal competition "Our Village Has a Future" as well as further information about the competition in general here.
