The Rheingau Wine Week is one of the most popular wine festivals in the region. It is not only a meeting place and an integral part of regional wine culture, but also plays a pioneering role in terms of event protection. During the press tour on August 11, Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende, Mayor Christiane Hinninger, Head of Public Order Maral Koohestanian and Head of Traffic Andreas Kowol, together with authorized signatory Simon Rottloff from Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH (WICM), presented the new access protection measures on Schlossplatz, some of which are being used in this form for the first time in Germany.

Wiesbaden has mastered what is currently a major challenge for many municipalities with determination, foresight and good cooperation: despite stricter and short-term police recommendations, all planned events were able to take place as hoped. From carnival to the spring festival to the Rheingau Wine Week. This was made possible by clear political decisions and the procurement of certified access barriers.

A key component of the new security concept is the comprehensive introduction of state-of-the-art barrier systems. Following the completion of the last deliveries in September of this year, Wiesbaden now has a highly professional repertoire: in addition to the 30 Oktablöcke TR already purchased in February, the portfolio of certified access protection systems has been expanded by 60 Armis One and 150 Armis Go. The latter is a market innovation that was only launched in June 2025 and currently has the lowest certified penetration depth on the market as a single system. The penetration depth for access protection refers to the distance a vehicle barrier travels after an impact. Wiesbaden is the first municipality in Germany to have this barrier material.

Mayor Christiane Hinninger: "Within a few months, WICM worked intensively with the event office to create a special access protection concept for each event and selected the required modules. Criteria such as accessibility, use of space and escape routes were taken into account. Residents and suppliers were also informed," said the mayor, thanking everyone involved. "The pleasing result achieved in record time: no event in Wiesbaden had to be canceled despite the stricter conditions."

The switch to certified systems was not only technically challenging, but also organizationally and financially. Specific access protection plans were drawn up for each event area with the help of a qualified expert office. Procurement could then be initiated. In total, the city of Wiesbaden invested around 2.8 million euros in extended access protection for municipal events for the planning, procurement and interim loan of modules. The necessary resolutions were initiated by the city government.

Head of Public Order Maral Koohestanian, whose department has taken over the coordination of event security in recent months, explained: "The new access protection measures are a visible sign of cleverly developed security measures. We acted immediately and showed how cultural tradition, joie de vivre and safety can go together perfectly."

Design compatibility also played an important role in the selection process. Andreas Kowol, Head of Building and Transport, emphasized: "Technology can create barriers, but it also opens up space: the new access barriers give our city police the security they need to carry out their duties on site in a reliable and approachable manner. In this way, we are creating practical conditions for effective protection and at the same time ensuring that inner-city event areas remain lively places. Modern security and quality of life in public places are not mutually exclusive."