City Honors Guido Schenk with Golden Coin Award
Guido Schenk Honored with Dormagen's Golden Coin Award After Decades of Service
On Wednesday, March 25, Mayor Erik Lierenfeld presented Guido Schenk with the city administration's Golden Coin in recognition of his decades of dedication.
Schenk—who was visibly moved and delighted by the honor—has been actively involved in numerous Dormagen associations and initiatives for years. Among his many contributions, he co-founded the IG TopWest and IG Horrem groups, as well as the Piwipper Boötchen club. He served as managing director of the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, VDK) for over 25 years and, for the past seven years, chaired the City Offensive Dormagen (CiDo), a role now taken over by Aki Voulgaris.
"Guido Schenk has done so much for our city," Lierenfeld emphasized. "He has always been someone who thinks ahead and helps shape our community. His work was instrumental in developing the city center, and even today, he remains deeply engaged as a volunteer—always bringing creativity and fresh ideas."
One of Schenk's most memorable moments in Dormagen unfolded before the eyes of local residents—and millions of TV viewers across Germany and beyond. In 1994, he briefly became a household name when Kaiman Sammy, a caiman, escaped from its owner and vanished into Nievenheim Lake. As the city's press spokesman, Schenk faced a media frenzy for five straight days, fielding questions from countless camera crews until the reptile was finally recaptured.
Dormagen is more than just Schenk's hometown—it is his passion and life's work. He served as the city's press spokesman for 11 years before spending another 17 years pioneering and leading the newly established departments of city marketing and tourism, first for the city and later for the SVGD (Stadtmarketing- und Verkehrsgesellschaft Dormagen). Highlights of his tenure included Dormagen's two successful entries in the state competition Ab in die Mitte! (Into the Center!), featuring a large swimming pool in front of City Hall for Wasserwelt 2002 (Water World 2002) and 70 artistically painted wooden cows lining Kölner Straße in 2009.
Beyond his professional role, Schenk has long been a driving force in the city's cultural and civic life. He helped organize a rock festival at Silbersee, co-founded the Initiative Dormagen, and was previously honored with the St. Petersburg-Sologubovka Medal for his years of service as VDK managing director—a cause close to his heart for personal reasons. To this day, he continues to volunteer, organizing collections for the VDK.
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