Bonn (pop. 305,765) is a city in west-central Germany. It was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990, the period when Germany was divided into the separate states of West Germany and East Germany. When Germany was reunified in 1990, Berlin was named the official capital of the reunified country. The German government continued to operate from Bonn until the late 1990’s. At that time, the majority of government offices and activities began to be moved to Berlin. However, some government headquarters remain in Bonn.
Bonn is the home of the University of Bonn and the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, the famous composer. It lies on the Rhine River, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Cologne.
Before World War II (1939-1945), Bonn was a quiet residential town known chiefly for its university. In 1948 and 1949, the city served as the site of the Parliamentary Council, which drafted the West German Constitution. After it became the capital of West Germany, Bonn developed into a major center of government and politics.
The city
occupies a beautiful mountain site in the Rhine River Valley. The scenic Seven Mountains rise east of the city. This charming setting and the slow pace of daily life in Bonn give the city the appearance of an overgrown village.
The old section of Bonn is located on the west bank of the Rhine River and includes the main shopping district. Many famous buildings line the narrow, winding streets of this area. The Munster, a Roman Catholic cathedral built during the 1100’s, stands in the center of the old section. Nearby is the University of Bonn’s main building, which was completed during the early 1700’s as a palace for the prince-electors. Its grounds include a large, popular park called the Hofgarten (Court Garden). Several blocks away are the old town hall and marketplace. The Beethoven-House, in which the composer was born, is located near the marketplace.
Adenauer Allee (Adenauer Avenue), which was once called Koblenzerstrasse (Coblenz Street), extends south from the old section of the city. This avenue was once a peaceful, residential street lined with large mansions and gardens. But after Bonn was made West Germany’s capital, Adenauer Allee became the hub of major government activities. Schaumburg Palace, which stands on the avenue, became the official office and residence of the federal chancellor. The nearby Villa Hammerschmidt became the home and office of the federal president. The avenue remained a center for government offices and activity even after the late 1990’s, when many of the offices began to be moved to Berlin.
Residential areas are scattered throughout Bonn. Many foreign diplomats had offices and residences near the southern edge of the city in a district called Bad Godesberg. Beuel, a semi-industrial district of Bonn, lies on the east bank of the Rhine River. The Kennedybrucke (Kennedy Bridge) links Beuel with Bonn’s old section.
Education and cultural life.
The University of Bonn is one of Germany’s major centers of learning. An agriculture school operates in the Poppelsdorf Castle, a summer residence of the prince-electors of the 1700’s. Botanical gardens beautify the castle grounds.
The Rhenish Provincial Museum in Bonn exhibits collections dealing with the archaeology and history of the Rhineland. The Museum Alexander Konig has zoological items from Africa, the Arctic, and the Canary Islands. The Beethoven-House, now a museum, displays many of the composer’s possessions and furnishings. A concert hall called the Beethoven-Halle includes rooms for lectures and art exhibitions. A music festival honoring Beethoven is held in Bonn in May.
Economy.
The federal government employs many of Bonn’s people. The city has almost no heavy industry. However, its light industries manufacture such products as ceramics, electrical equipment, furniture, office equipment, pharmaceuticals, and precision instruments. Factories in the Beuel district produce cement and cement by-products. Agricultural products from the area around Bonn are marketed in the city.
Bonn lies on one of Germany’s main railroad routes. An international airport, which is located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of the city, serves Bonn and Cologne. A six-lane highway links the two cities. Public transportation in Bonn includes buses, subways, and electric trains.
History.
Prehistoric peoples probably lived in what is now the Bonn area. The first known inhabitants were the Ubii, a Germanic people who lived there as early as 38 B.C. About A.D. 50, the Romans established a military camp on the west bank of the Rhine. They chose the location to maintain their position on the river against Germanic tribes on the east bank. About 250, two Roman soldiers were executed near the camp for holding Christian beliefs. Bonn was settled near their graves by the Franks, another Germanic people.
Norse invaders destroyed Bonn during the 800’s. By 1200, Bonn had been reestablished under the control of the archbishop of Cologne. Bonn served as the seat of the prince-electors of Cologne from 1265 to 1794, when French revolutionary forces seized the city.
In 1815, Bonn and the surrounding territory became part of the kingdom of Prussia. Bonn University was founded in 1818 by the king of Prussia, Frederick William III. The university soon thrived as a center of scholarship. Bonn itself prospered because many wealthy families liked the city’s quiet residential character and settled there.
World War I (1914-1918) and political unrest in the Rhineland during the 1920’s disrupted the peaceful life of Bonn. During World War II (1939-1945), Bonn suffered heavy damage from air and artillery bombardments.
In 1949, Germany was divided into two separate states, East Germany and West Germany. Bonn became the capital of West Germany. It may have been selected because it lay near Rhondorf, the hometown of Konrad Adenauer, the first West German chancellor. Bonn was to have been the capital only until Germany was reunified, at which time the government would move to Berlin. Berlin had been the capital and seat of government of Germany before the 1949 division.
Germany was reunified in 1990. Berlin was named the capital of the reunified country, but the country’s government continued to operate from Bonn. In 1991, the German Bundestag (lower legislative house) voted to move most government offices and activities to Berlin. The Bundestag moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999. The Bundesrat (upper house) moved in 2000, and the offices of Germany’s chancellor did so in 2001.
