The Orden wider den tierischen Ernst (Order for Combating Deadly Seriousness) is a carnival order that is awarded once a year by the Aachen Carnival Association to public figures. The order of knights honors people who combine "humor and humanity in office". The popular order has been awarded since 1950. The award ceremony traditionally takes place during a foolish ceremony (närrische Festsitzung). The WDR has been recording the ceremony for the first and third programs since 1995. In 2020 around 2.8 million people across Germany watched. Source: Wikipedia (en)