Bonn

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Bonn
Langer Eugen, centre of the UN Campus at the River Rhine in Bonn (view from the Post Tower).
Langer Eugen, centre of the UN Campus at the River Rhine in Bonn (view from the Post Tower).
Coat of arms Location
Coat of arms of Bonn
Bonn (Germany)
Bonn
Administration
Country Flag of Germany Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Cologne
District Urban district
Mayor Bärbel Dieckmann (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area 141.22 km² (54.5 sq mi)
Elevation 60 m  (197 ft)
Population 314,926  (30/06/2007)
 - Density 2,230 /km² (5,776 /sq mi)
Founded 1st century BC
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate BN
Postal codes 53111–53229
Area code 0228
Website www.bonn.de

Coordinates: 50°44′02.37″N 7°5′59.33″E / 50.7339917, 7.0998139

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government until 1999. Starting in 1998, many national government institutions were moved from Bonn to Berlin. Both houses of the German national parliament, the Bundestag as well as the Bundesrat, were moved along with the Chancellery and the residence of German head of state, the Bundespräsident. Bonn remains a centre of politics and administration, however. Roughly half of all government jobs were retained as many government departments remained in Bonn and numerous sub-ministerial level government agencies relocated to the former capital from Berlin and other parts of Germany. In recognition of this, the former capital now holds the title of Federal City ("Bundesstadt").

Bonn has developed into a hub of international cooperation in particular in the area of environment and sustainable development. In addition to a number of other international organizations and institutions, such as, for instance, the IUCN Environmental Law Center (IUCN ELC) the City currently hosts 16 United Nations institutions. Among these are two of the so-called Rio Conventions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The number of UN agencies in Bonn, most of which are based at the newly established United Nations Campus in the city's former parliamentary quarter on the banks of the Rhine, continues to grow.

Bonn is the seat of some of Germany's largest corporate players, chiefly in the areas of telecommunications and logistics. Simultaneously, Bonn is establishing itself as an important national and international centre of meetings, conventions and conferences, many of which are directly related to the work of the United Nations. A new conference centre capable of hosting thousands of participants is currently under construction in the immediate vicinity of the UN Campus.

From 1597 to 1794 it was the residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne, and is the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven (born 1770), widely considered to be one of the world's greatest composers.

Contents

Langer Eugen, centre of the United Nations Campus (view from the Rheinaue park).
Langer Eugen, centre of the United Nations Campus (view from the Rheinaue park).
Sterntorn Monument
Sterntorn Monument
Historic Town Hall of Bonn (view from the market square).
Historic Town Hall of Bonn (view from the market square).

The history of the city dates back to Roman times. In about 11 BC, the Roman Army appears to have stationed a small unit in what nowadays is the historical centre of the town. Even earlier, the Army had resettled members of a Germanic tribal group allied with Rome, the Ubii, in Bonn. The Latin name for that settlement, "Bonna", may stem from the original population of this and many other settlements in the area, the Eburoni. The Eburoni were members of a large tribal coalition effectively wiped out during the final phase of Caesar's War in Gaul. After several decades, the Army gave up the small camp linked to the Ubii-settlement. During the 1st century AD, the Army then chose a site to the North of the emerging town in what nowadays is the section of Bonn-Castell to build a large military installation dubbed Castra Bonnensis, i.e., literally, "Fort Bonn". Initially built from wood, the fort was eventually rebuilt in stone. With additions, changes and new construction, the fort remained in use by the Army into the waning days of the Western Roman Empire, possibly the mid-5th century AD. The structures themselves remained standing well into the Middle Ages, when they were called the Bonnburg. They were used by Frankish kings until they fell in disuse. Eventually, much of the building materials seem to have been reused in the construction of Bonn's 13th century city wall. The Sterntor Monument in the center of town contains parts of the medieval city wall.

To date, Bonn's Roman fort remains the largest fort of its type known from the ancient world, i.e. a fort built for one full-size Imperial Legion and its auxiliaries. The fort covered an area of approximately 250,000 square meters. Between its walls it contained a dense grid of streets and a multitude of buildings, ranging from spacious headquarters and large officers' houses to barracks, stables and a military jail. Among the legions stationed in Bonn, the "1st", i.e. the Prima Legio Minervia, seems to have served here the longest. Units of the Bonn legion were deployed to theaters of wars ranging from modern-day Algeria to what nowadays is the Russian republic of Chechnya.

The chief Roman road linking the provincial capitals of Cologne and Mainz cut right through the fort where it joined the fort's main road (nowadays, Römerstraße). Once past the South Gate, the Cologne-Mainz road continued along what nowadays are streets named Belderberg, Adenauerallee et al. To both sides of the road, the local settlement, Bonna, grew into a sizeable Roman town.

In late antiquity, much of the town seems to have been destroyed by marauding invaders. The remaining civilian population then holed up inside the fort along with the remnants of the troops stationed here. During the final decades of imperial rule, the troops were supplied by Germanic chieftains employed by the Roman administration. When the end came, these troops simply shifted their allegiances to the new barbarian rulers. From the fort, the Bonnburg, as well as from a new, medieval settlement to the South centred around what later became the Münster basilica, grew the medieval city of Bonn.

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque style Bonn Minster was built, and in 1597 Bonn became the seat of the Archdiocese of Cologne. The town gained more influence and grew considerably. The elector Clemens August (ruled 1724-1761) ordered the construction of a series of Baroque buildings which still give the city its character. Another memorable ruler was Max Franz (ruled 1784-1794), who founded the university and the spa quarter of Bad Godesberg. In addition he was a patron of the young Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in Bonn in 1770; the elector financed the composer's first journey to Vienna.

In 1794, the town was seized by French troops, becoming a part of the First French Empire. In 1815 following the Napoleonic Wars, Bonn became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Administered within the Prussian Rhine Province, the town became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany. Bonn was of little relevance in these years.

During World War II, Bonn was a Military Sub-area (Militärische Unterregion) of the Cologne Military Area Command (Militärischer Bereich Befehl). It was not a headquarters, and no units called Bonn home, but it did have some military significance due to its population.

Following World War II Bonn was in the British zone of occupation, and in 1949 became the provisional capital of West Germany. The choice of Bonn was made mainly due to the advocacy of Konrad Adenauer, a former Cologne Mayor and Chancellor of West Germany after World War II, who came from that area, despite the fact that Frankfurt had most of the needed facilities already and using Bonn was estimated to be 95 Mill DM more expensive than using Frankfurt. Because of its relatively small size for a capital city, Bonn was sometimes referred to, jokingly, as the Bundesdorf (Federal Village).

German reunification in 1990 made Berlin the nominal capital of Germany again. This decision did not mandate that the republic's political institutions would also move. This was only concluded by the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) on 20 June 1991, after a heated debate. While the government and parliament moved, as a compromise, some of the ministries largely remained in Bonn, with only the top officials in Berlin. There was no plan to move these departments, and so Bonn remained a second, unofficial capital with the new title "Federal City" (Bundesstadt). Because of the necessary construction work, the move took until 1999 to complete.

Nowadays the private sector plays a major role in Bonn's economy. With 5 stock listed companies, Bonn has the 4th highest market capitalisation amongst German towns. With headquarters of DHL, T-Mobile and other renowned companies, managers have replaced the public sector.

The University of Bonn has about 30,000 students.

View over downtown Bonn
View over downtown Bonn

Godesburg Fortress.
Godesburg Fortress.
Hofgarten (Court Garden) with Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Prince's Castle), which serves as the main building of the University of Bonn. The church steeple of the Bonn Minster can be seen in the background.
Hofgarten (Court Garden) with Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Prince's Castle), which serves as the main building of the University of Bonn. The church steeple of the Bonn Minster can be seen in the background.
Post Tower, headquarters of the Deutsche Post AG and DHL.
Post Tower, headquarters of the Deutsche Post AG and DHL.

Beethoven's birth place is located at Bonngasse. Next to the market place is the Old Town Hall, built in 1737 in Rococo style, under the rule of Clemens August of Bavaria. It's used for receptions of guests of the town, and as a bureau for the mayor. Close by is the Kurfürstliches Schloss, which has been built as a residence of the prince-elector, and nowadays is the main building of the University of Bonn.

The Poppelsdorfer Allee, an alley flanked by chestnut trees, connects the Kurfürstliches Schloss with the Poppelsdorfer Schloss, a palace that was built as a resort to prince-electors in the first half of the 18th century. This axis is interrupted by a railway line and Bonn Central Station, a building erected in 1883/84.

The three highest buildings in the city are the radio mast of WDR in Bonn-Venusberg (180 m), the headquarters of the Deutsche Post called Post Tower (162.5 m) and the former building for the German members of parliament Langer Eugen (114.7 m) which nowadays is the new location of the UN-Campus.

  • The Rheinische Friedrich Wilhems Universität Bonn (University of Bonn) is one of the largest universities in Germany
  • Bonn Universities are located mainly in downtown Bonn, but some buildings are spread throughout the city. As such Bonn is known as the city of Universities.

  • Aloisiuskolleg, a Jesuit private school in Bad Godesberg
  • Amos-Comenius-Gymnasium, a private school in Bad Godesberg
  • King Fahad Academy, a private high school in [[Bad Godesberg, Mehlem] which aslo includes a mosque]. Ahmed Abdelrahman from Sudan and Mohammed Shawkat from Palestine are one of the first graduates.
  • Bonn International School BIS, a private english-speaking school in Plittersdorf/Rheinaue, which offers grades from Kindergarten to 12th grade (International Baccalaureate).

Districts of Bonn.
Districts of Bonn.
Bonn City Hall, called "Stadthaus".
Bonn City Hall, called "Stadthaus".
Carnival in Bonn.
Carnival in Bonn.
Beethoven Monument.
Beethoven Monument.
Beethovenhaus in Bonn, birthplace of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Beethovenhaus in Bonn, birthplace of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Conmemorative sign
Conmemorative sign
Beethoven's Pianos in the Beethoven-Haus. Stieler's famous portrait hangs on the wall.
Beethoven's Pianos in the Beethoven-Haus. Stieler's famous portrait hangs on the wall.

In 1969, the independent towns of Bad Godesberg and Beuel as well as several villages were incorporated into Bonn, resulting in a city more than twice as large as before. Bad Godesberg and Beuel became districts (Stadtbezirke) of Bonn with some independence and populations of about 70,000 each.

Each district has its own quarters:

  • Bad Godesberg: Alt-Godesberg, Friesdorf, Godesberg-Nord, Godesberg-Villenviertel, Heiderhof, Hochkreuz, Lannesdorf, Mehlem, Muffendorf, Pennenfeld, Plittersdorf, Rüngsdorf, Schweinheim
  • Beuel: Beuel-Mitte, Beuel-Ost, Geislar, Hoholz, Holtorf, Holzlar, Küdinghoven, Limperich, Oberkassel, Pützchen/Bechlinghoven, Ramersdorf, Schwarzrheindorf/Vilich-Rheindorf, Vilich, Vilich-Müldorf
  • Bonn: Auerberg, Bonn-Castell (until 2003: Bonn-Nord), Bonn-Zentrum, Buschdorf, Dottendorf, Dransdorf, Endenich, Graurheindorf, Gronau, Ippendorf, Kessenich, Lessenich/Meßdorf, Nordstadt, Poppelsdorf, Röttgen, Südstadt, Tannenbusch, Ückesdorf, Venusberg, Weststadt
  • Hardtberg: Brüser Berg, Duisdorf, Hardthöhe, Lengsdorf

Bonn is connected to three autobahns (federal motorways) and the German rail network. Some InterCityExpress and most InterCity trains call at Bonn Hauptbahnhof whilst the Siegburg/Bonn railway station is situated on the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line and serviced by InterCityExpress trains. Local transport is provided by a Stadtbahn (light rail), which also features two lines to Cologne. Bonn's international airport is Cologne Bonn Airport with connections to many European cities.

Since Bonn is a popular University town it has an unusual vivid nightlife compared to other cities of the same size. There are many bars and pubs all over the city, including several Irish pubs and hookahbars. Most of them are located around the town's center near the university. Bonn also holds a large number of recommendable restaurants which serve national specialities from all over the world. Furthermore Bonn has one opera, 12 theatres and 20 cinemas, including the famous art deco Metropol cinema[18].

Bonn is the home of many Comedic actors (Bastian Pastewka, Markus Maria Profitlich, Anka Zink, Michael Müller, Bill Mockridge etc.) due to the internationally, well-established Improvisation Theater "Springmaus", which was founded in 1986 and has significantly changed the German Comedic Society. Founder and owner of "Springmaus" is Canadian actor, director, producer and Stand-Up Comic Bill Mockridge, who currently resides in Bonn with his wife Margie Kinsky, also a Comedian at Springmaus Improv Theater, and his six children, who are all actively involved in Show business. Nick Mockridge is a director for short-films of the "Art House" genre, including his prize winning movie "Into the Morning". Matthew Mockridge is a successful singer in a boyband called "Part Six", which have reached many Top-Ten hits in the German Billboard Charts. Luke Mockridge pursues a carrer in comedic writing and Stand-Up and has worked on many Springmaus projects, including his father's One-Man Shows "Leise Rieselt der Kalk" and "Rostig, Rostig". Leonardo Mockridge is professional musician, currently being tought at well-estabslished Brighton Institute of Music. Jeremy Mockridge is perhaps the most well-known offspring of the Mockridge Family, who has starred in many German Blockbuster such as "Die Liebe hat das letzte Wort", "Die Wilden Hühner" and "Die Wilden Hühner 2". Besides doing Theater work, Jeremy Mockridge has scored a role alongside his father in the most successful and longest running Television Soap-Opera in Germany "Lidenstrasse". Liam Mockridge is a model for several local clothing stores across the Bonn area.

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   Urban and rural districts in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany    Flag of Germany
Urban districts Aachen · Bielefeld · Bochum · Bonn · Bottrop · Dortmund · Duisburg · Düsseldorf · Essen · Gelsenkirchen · Hagen · Hamm · Herne · Köln (Cologne) · Krefeld · Leverkusen · Mönchengladbach · Mülheim · Münster · Oberhausen · Remscheid · Solingen · Wuppertal
Rural Districts Aachen · Borken · Coesfeld · Düren · Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis · Euskirchen · Gütersloh · Heinsberg · Herford · Hochsauerland · Höxter · Kleve (Cleves) · Lippe · Märkischer Kreis · Mettmann · Minden-Lübbecke · Oberbergischer Kreis · Olpe · Paderborn · Recklinghausen · Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis · Rhein-Erft-Kreis · Rhein-Kreis Neuss · Rhein-Sieg-Kreis · Siegen-Wittgenstein · Soest · Steinfurt · Unna · Viersen · Warendorf · Wesel

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