The federal city of Bonn is an independent city in the
administrative district of Cologne in the south of North
Rhine-Westphalia and the second seat of the government of the
Federal Republic of Germany. With 329,673 inhabitants (as of
December 31, 2019), Bonn is one of the twenty largest cities in
Germany. Bonn belongs to the metropolitan regions of Rhineland and
Rhine-Ruhr as well as to the Cologne / Bonn region. The city on both
banks of the Rhine was the federal capital from 1949 to 1990 and the
seat of government of the Federal Republic of Germany until 1999,
after which it became Germany's second seat of government. The
United Nations has had a seat in Bonn since 1951.
Bonn can
look back on more than 2000 years of history, which goes back to
Germanic and Roman settlements, and is therefore one of the oldest
cities in Germany. From 1597 to 1794 it was the capital and
residence of the Electorate of Cologne. Ludwig van Beethoven was
born here in 1770. In the course of the 19th century, the University
of Bonn, founded in 1818, developed into one of the most important
German universities.
In 1948/49 the Parliamentary Council met
in Bonn and worked out the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of
Germany, whose first parliament and government seat was Bonn in
1949. As a result, the city experienced an extensive expansion and
grew together with Bad Godesberg via the new parliament and
government district. This resulted in the rebuilding of the city of
Bonn through the merger of the cities of Bonn, Bad Godesberg, the
city of Beuel on the right bank of the Rhine and the communities of
the former district of Bonn on August 1, 1969.
After
reunification in 1990, the Bundestag passed the Bonn / Berlin
resolution in 1991, as a result of which the parliamentary and
government headquarters were relocated to the federal capital Berlin
in 1999/2000 and numerous federal authorities to Bonn in return.
Since then, the Federal President, the Federal Chancellor and the
Federal Council have had a second official seat in the Federal City;
in accordance with the Berlin / Bonn Act, six federal ministries
have their first official seat, the other eight a second seat. With
the addition of the federal city to the name, the federal government
is strengthening Bonn as the second seat of government.
As
the seat of 20 United Nations (UN) organizations, Bonn shows a high
degree of international integration. In addition, the two DAX
companies Deutsche Post and Deutsche Telekom are legally resident in
Bonn.
Especially because of the headquarters of organizations
and companies, the cityscape is increasingly characterized by
several high-rise buildings in addition to church towers.
Bonn is divided into four districts, which consist of a total of 51
districts. Each city district has its own district council with a
district head
Bad Godesberg: Alt-Godesberg, Friesdorf,
Godesberg-Nord, Godesberg-villa district, 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-North), Bonn-Center,
Buschdorf, Dottendorf, Dransdorf,Endenich, Graurheindorf, Gronau,
Ippendorf, Kessenich, Lessenich/Messdorf, Nordstadt, Poppelsdorf,
Röttgen, Südstadt, Tannenbusch, Ückesdorf, Venusberg, Weststadt
Hardtberg: Brüser Berg, Duisdorf, Hardthöhe, Lengsdorf
For sights,
accommodation and catering establishments see the articles of the city
districts! The government district should be described here!
By plane
Bonn shares Cologne-Bönn Airport "Konrad Adenauer" (IATA:
CGN) with Cologne. The airport can be reached from the city center by
car in about 25 minutes. There is a shuttle bus from Bonn main station
to the airport (line SB 60; travel time approx. 30 minutes, total
€11.40). Furthermore, the RB 27, which runs every hour, connects
Bonn-Beuel on the right bank of the Rhine with the airport.
Düsseldorf Airport (IATA: CGN) can be reached directly by train in 1 1/4
hours. The journey takes longer from Bonn-Beuel, with a change in
Cologne-Deutz. There are direct connections to Frankfurt Airport (IATA:
FRA) every hour. It is quicker to take the Stadtbahn (line 66) to
Siegburg and then the ICE.
By train
Four train stations are
important for Bonn: the Bonn main train station wikipediacommons, the
Bonn-Bad Godesberg regional train station on the left bank of the Rhine,
the Bonn-Beuel train station on the right bank of the Rhine, and the
Siegburg/Bonn ICE train station. The regional train stations do not have
a lift and are not barrier-free.
There are direct connections to
Bonn Central Station from Bremen via Münster and Cologne, from Stuttgart
via Mannheim, Mainz and Koblenz, from Euskirchen and from Ahrbrück via
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (in regional traffic).
The ICE train
station Siegburg/Bonn is about 20km from the city center. You can reach
it with the tram line 66. From Siegburg/Bonn train station you can reach
Cologne Bonn Airport in 20 minutes and Frankfurt am Main Airport every
hour in about 40 minutes.
There are DB stops in the neighboring
towns of Siegburg, Brühl, Remagen and Königswinter. The Stadtbahn runs
via St. Augustin to Siegburg, via Königswinter to Bad Honnef, via
Bornheim and Brühl to Cologne and via Wesseling also to Cologne. This is
supplemented by a tram network with 3 lines.
long-distance bus
Various long-distance bus lines run to Bonn and head for the
long-distance bus stop on the museum mile. From here, Flixbus offers
Germany and Europe-wide connections. (Note: the former Thomasstraße stop
near the main train station has not been served since May 2016.)
Hike
The Rheinsteig leads from Bonn on the right bank of the Rhine
through the Middle Rhine Valley, past many castles and vantage points,
to Wiesbaden-Biebrich.
In the street
In Bonn, environmental
zones have been set up in accordance with the Fine Dust Ordinance. If
you don't have the appropriate badge, you risk a fine of €100 when
entering an environmental zone. This also applies to foreign road users.
Entry ban for vehicles of pollutant groups 1+2+3 (Info Federal
Environment Agency)
The fastest connection between Cologne and
Bonn is the three-lane Autobahn A555, which can be used largely without
speed limits.
From Koblenz: A61 to Kreuz Meckenheim, then A565
towards Bonn
From Frankfurt: A3 to Kreuz Bonn/Siegburg, then A560
towards Bonn, then on A59
From the north: As a rule of thumb:
Everything coming west of the Rhine (A57, A61) takes the A1 and/or A4
onto the A555. Everything that comes east of the Rhine (A1, A3, A4, A59)
drives to Bonn via (the A1,) the A3 and the A59.
By boat
Bonn
is located on the Rhine between Cologne and Koblenz. In the summer
months from May to October, ships from the KölnDüsseldorfer regularly
travel between Düsseldorf and Bingen, partly along the Moselle in the
direction of the Mittelmosel. Many cruise ships from the Netherlands,
Switzerland and other countries navigating the European inland waterways
between the North Sea and the Mediterranean make a stop in Bonn.
Excursion boats operate on the Rhine between Rotterdam and Basel as well
as on the navigable tributaries of the Rhine. There are also ferry
connections across the Rhine.
There are also docking facilities
for pleasure boats.
The best way to get around the city is by public transport. In
addition to the tram and bus system, Bonn also has a Stadtbahn that runs
both underground and above ground. Due to the privileged position as a
former federal capital, the rail network is very well developed. The
transport networks of Cologne and Bonn are combined in the joint VRS
network. Stadtwerke Bonn is the main operator and customer for lines.
Fares: A level 1b City-Ticket is required for any journey within the
Bonn city area. A single ticket costs €3, children: €1.60, • day ticket
(24-hour ticket) for one person €8.80, a week ticket (Mon-Sun): €27.20.
If you are traveling with several people, a day group ticket is
worthwhile (24-hour ticket for 5 people). It costs €13.40 and is valid
for up to five people for one day in Bonn. The card is valid from Monday
to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. the following day. You can drive
all day on weekends and public holidays.
If you are only
traveling for a short time in the city area, you can also use the
short-distance tariff (boarding point + 4 stops): €2 for adults, €1 for
children (as of January 1st, 2020).
The night bus services are
particularly noteworthy.
The railway does not cross the Rhine, but
the Stadtbahn runs on 2 bridges.
Bonn Minster (Papal Basilica minor "St. Martin, St. Cassius &
Florentius"), Münsterplatz. The Bonn Minster was closed for five years
due to a long general renovation, but it has been open again since May
2022. More on this. Open: Mon - Fri: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sat: 10 a.m. - 4
p.m.
St. Maria and Clemens (double church of Schwarzrheindorf) . More
on this. last change: Feb. 2018 (information may be outdated)
Electoral Palace. Former residence of the Electors of Cologne, today
the main building of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University.
Poppelsdorf Castle, Meckenheimer Allee 171, 53115 Bonn. Also called
Schloss Clemensruhe - today part of the Bonn University with the natural
science institutes. The castle was built between 1715 and 1713 as the
Maison de Campagne.
Old Town Hall . The Old Town Hall with its Rococo facade from 1737/38
is located on the south-east side of the market square. The staircase is
gilded. In 1944 the Old Town Hall was badly damaged and rebuilt by 1950.
Feature: free WiFi.
Beethoven House, Bonngasse 18-26. Email:
museum@beethoven-haus-bonn.de . Birthplace of the most famous composer
in the world.
Metropol (former cinema, now bookstore) . in Art Deco
style with 864 seats, which closed in 2006. After collecting 16,000
signatures for preservation as a cultural site, the city tried to
prevent the conversion to a trading house. However, the Higher
Administrative Court decided to protect only the facade as a monument.
In 2009 the conversion into a bookstore began. The splendor of the large
cinema is still recognizable in some parts. Two rows of chairs were left
on the 2nd floor and, with a book in your hand, you can admire the
beautiful wall frame of the former cinema screen and theater stage from
the gallery.
Post Tower, Charles-de-Gaulle-Strasse 20 . The group
headquarters of Deutsche Post AG, completed in 2002, is the tallest
office building in North Rhine-Westphalia at 162.5m. It is not open to
the public. Architect: Helmut Jahn, cf. Bonn (district)
Bundeshaus . It consists of 9 buildings, including:
Former new
plenary hall, from 1992 − 1999, designed by architect Günther Behnisch.
Today's use as an international congress center. The old plenary hall
stood in the same place from 1949 to 1986.
Waterworks − former
plenary hall from 1986 − 1992.
Long Eugene. Former parliament
building, today: headquarters of several United Nations organizations
(named after the former Bundestag President Eugen Gerstenmaier)
chancellery
Villa Hammerschmidt. From 1950 to 1994, the villa was the
official residence of the Federal President of the Federal Republic of
Germany.
Palais Schaumburg. The Palais Schaumburg is the second
office of the Federal Chancellery
House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Willy-Brandt-Allee 14, 53113 Bonn. Tel.: +49 (0)228 91 650, fax: (0)228
9165302, e-mail: post@hdg.de . The visitor is guided through the history
of Germany, with a special focus on the years after 1945. The museum
offers a great deal of information on a huge exhibition area. Please
bring plenty of time! Text panels, soundtracks and videos. Open: Tue-Fri
9:00 a.m.−7:00 p.m., Sat-Sun and public holidays 10:00 a.m.−6:00 p.m.,
Weiberfastnacht, December 23, 24 and 31 closed. Price: Entry to the
museum is free.
Art and exhibition hall of the Federal Republic of
Germany (tactile tours! barrier-free), Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 4
(Heussallee U-Bahn 16, 63, 66, bus 610). Tel.: +49 (0)228 91710. Open:
Tue and Wed 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thu to Sun 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Price:
Combination tickets are worthwhile for events, see
Kunstmuseum Bonn,
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 2 (underground 16, 63, 66 "Heussallee", bus 610).
Tel.: +49 228 776260. Works of Rhenish Expressionism and works by German
artists from the period after the Second World War. Open: Mon closed,
otherwise 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wed to 9 p.m.
Egyptian Museum,
Regina-Pacis-Weg 7. Tel.: +49 228 739710, fax: +49 228 737360, e-mail:
aegyptisches-museum@uni-bonn.de. Open: Tue to Fri 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sat
to Sun 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Price: adults €2.50, students and children (7
years +): €2, family ticket (2 adults and 3 children): €7.
Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Colmantstrasse 14-18. Phone: +49 (0)228 20700,
fax: +49 (0)228 2070-150, email: rlmb@lvr.de. The Rhineland from the
Stone Age through Roman times and the Middle Ages to the present.
Additionally changing special exhibitions. Open: Tues. - Fri. and Sun.
11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Price: Admission: €8, reduced
€6, children under 18 free.
Deutsches Museum Bonn, Ahrstraße 45,
53175 Bonn (there are hardly any parking spaces). Phone: +49 (0)228 30
22 55, Fax: +49 (0)228 30 22 54 . An offshoot of the world-renowned
Deutsches Museum in Munich. Research and technology in Germany after
1945 are shown. Feature: wheelchair accessible with assistance. Open:
Tue–Fri, Sun, public holidays 10:00–17:00; Sat 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Price: €7.00, €5.00 (6-17 years; from 65 years; pupils, trainees,
students, pensioners, social benefit recipients, federal voluntary
service providers), €20.00 (family).
Arithmeum, Lennéstrasse 2, 53113
Bonn. Tel.: +49 (0)228 73 87 90, fax: +49 (0)228 73 87 71, e-mail:
arithmeum@or.uni-bonn.de . Historical devices for mechanical computing:
from the abacus to mechanical calculators to the computer, many of which
can be touched and tried out for yourself. In addition, works of art,
mainly paintings of the abstract-geometric style. Feature: wheelchair
accessible. Open: Tue-Sun 11am-6pm. Price: €3.00, €2.00 (pupils,
students, trainees), €8.00 (family).
Bonn Women's Museum, Im
Krausfeld 10, 53111 Bonn. Tel.: +49 (0)228 69 61 64, e-mail:
info@frauenmuseum.de. Open: Tue-Sat 2pm-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm. Price: €6.00,
€4.50 (reduced, pupils, students).
Museum König, Poppelsdorfer
Schloss, Meckenheimer Allee 169. Zoological collection, stuffed animals
in dioramas, etc. Open: Tue to Sun: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wed: to
9:00 p.m. Price: 5€.
Mineralogical Museum, Adenauerallee 160. Open:
Wed 3pm-6pm, Fri 3pm-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm. Price: €2.50.
Visitors to Bonn's old government district encounter sights that at
least every "Tagesschau" viewer from the old Federal Republic is
familiar with: the Palais Schaumburg, which served as the official
residence of the first federal chancellors; the Villa Hammerschmidt,
today the second official residence of the Federal President; the
Schürmann building, which was originally planned as an office building
for the Bundestag and now serves as the domicile of "Deutsche Welle";
the Federal Palace with the plenary hall, in which the "International
Congress Center" is located today; the "Langer Eugen", which used to
function as a high-rise building for members of parliament. Also worth a
flying visit is the Adenauer monument on the Bundeskanzlerplatz (the
geographical center of Bonn), which presents itself as the oversized
head of the first Federal Chancellor.
Tip: If you want to get to
know the political Bonn better, you should set off on the "Path of
Democracy". Starting from the House of History on the Museum Mile, this
themed trail leads to twelve important places where German democracy was
shaped (walking time around 90 minutes).
Guided tours in Bonn, Maximilianstraße 28d (office is near the main
train station.). Phone: +49 (0)228 242 52 56, email:
info@stattreisen-bonn.de. Various guided tours are offered. Open: Mon
Thu and Fri 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Tue and Wed 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Night watchman torchlight tour through medieval Bonn (meeting point:
stairs at the Old Town Hall, Markt 2). Phone: +49 (0)157 385 27 455,
email: kontakt@vanueuem-events.de. Public tours take place on Friday or
Saturday evenings; for groups there are appointments at any time by
arrangement. Price: 10 / 8 euros per person
"Witches, torture, pyres"
- Bonn as a center of witch hunts in the 17th century (meeting point:
stairs at the old town hall, market 2). Phone: +49 (0)157 385 27 455,
email: kontakt@vanueuem-events.de. FOR GROUPS ONLY; Appointments at
almost any time by arrangement (NOT during the Christmas market).
City tours on the 2000-year history of Bonn women
City walks with
the Bonn Greeters
Under the motto "Come as a guest, leave as a
friend", the Bonn Greeters offer free city tours. The guests get to know
the city off the beaten track from the perspective of the locals. The
greeters are happy to show the guests their city in an authentic way,
with all its rough edges. Personal stories and experiences or tips for
going out and leisure are also discussed. In the concrete agreement
between guest and greeter, topic requests are taken into account, which
thus turn these walks into a personal and individual encounter with the
city. In order to preserve individuality, the greets are only carried
out in small groups of up to 6 people. More information at
bonn-greeters.org The Bonn Greeters are members of the International
Greeter Association (formerly Global Greeter Network).
Feminist
city tour through Bonn
This free, self-guided feminist city tour,
developed by the Bonn action group UN Women Germany, is available in
printable and mobile versions in German and English. The tour begins at
the Bonn town hall and leads on a round of about 4km to places in Bonn
that have been particularly shaped by women or are exemplary for
feminist topics and concepts. The city tour is designed in such a way
that the stations can be reached on foot or by bicycle via the normal
road and path network (only the "Pissrinne" station is not
barrier-free).
Bonn theater night. May 25, 2022. Please check website for more info.
Rhine in Flames. Annual fireworks in different places and on different
days.
Beethoven Festival from August 25 to September 17, 2022
Pützchen's market. Huge five-day funfair.
Bonn Christmas Market – The
Christmas market takes place every year around Friedensplatz.
Take
boccia balls and go to the Old Customs. Sometimes you meet fellow
players there. Maybe pack two more pico holes. You don't have to go to
the beer garden. If the weather is passable, you can spread out on the
meadow above.
If you want to look at the Rhine panorama, make your
way to the viewing platform with the cannon.
There is a wide range on offer in the city centre
The districts of
Bad Godesberg and Beuel also offer good shopping opportunities. The
possibilities in the district of Duisdorf are at least satisfactory.
Inexpensive
1 Bonn Youth Hostel, Haager Weg 42. Tel.: +49 228
289970, e-mail: bonn@jugendherberge.de. Located a bit outside, can be
reached from the main station by bus within 20 minutes. Feature:
wheelchair accessible.
Upscale
2 AMERON Hotel Königshof,
Adenauerallee 9. Tel.: +49 228 2601529, e-mail:
info@hotel-koenigshof-bonn.de. Very centrally located directly on the
Rhine.
3 Kameha Grand, Am Bonner Bogen 1. Tel.: +49 228 43345000,
email: info@kamehagrand.com . Located directly on the Rhine. Approx. 20
minutes drive from Bonn city center. Feature: ★★★★★.
4 Living Hotel
Kanzler, Adenauerallee 148. Edit info
5 Hilton Bonn, Berliner
Freiheit 2. Tel.: +49 228 72690, fax: +49 228 72697005. Located near
Kennedy Bridge, very central. Feature: ★★★★.
6 Maritim Bonn,
Godesberger Allee 1. Tel.: +49 228 81080.
7 Rheinhotel Dreesen,
Rheinstrasse 45-49. Phone: +49 228 82020 . The Rheinhotel Dreesen
accommodated numerous well-known personalities, including Gustav
Stresemann, Walter Rathenau, Charlie Chaplin, Hans Albers, Greta Garbo
and Marlene Dietrich. The hotel is located south of the city center in
Rüngsdorf. Feature: ★★★★.
8 Steigenberger Grandhotel Petersberg,
Petersberg. Tel.: +49 (0)2223 740, e-mail:
reservierung@petersberg.steigberger.de. Outside the city limits is the
well-known Steigenberger Grandhotel Petersberg, the former guest house
of the federal government and venue of numerous international
conferences. Driving time approx. 20 minutes from Bonn.
9 Dorint
Hotel Venusberg, An der Casselsruhe 1, 53127 Bonn. Tel.: +49 228 2880,
fax: +49 228 288288, e-mail: info.bonn@dorint.com facebook. The 4-star
hotel, situated on a hill, offers 85 rooms & suites. Feature: ★★★★S.
Price: from €82 per room/night.
Special hotels
10 Haus
Müllestumpe, An der Rheindorfer Burg 22. Integration hotel in the
countryside barrier-free Feature: wheelchair accessible.
For more
accommodation see here
11 Basecamp Bonn, In der Raste 1, 53129 Bonn.
Phone: +49 228 9349 4955, fax: +49 228 9349 4970, email:
stay@basecamp-bonn.de. A unique hostel in the shape of a large indoor
campsite. You spend the night in curious caravans or in an old train
sleeper.
For a personal contact you can reach the police at the following
locations:
Police contact point "GABI" in cooperation with the
regulatory authority at Münsterstraße 18 (Cassius-Bastei), in the
immediate vicinity of the main train station. Tel. 0228-156190 (weekdays
only until 1:00 a.m.)
Police station downtown, Bornheimer Str.19, not
far from the town hall, Tel. 0228-156111 (24 hours)
as well as all
offices in Bonn/Bornheim/Alfter/Meckenheim/Rheinbach/Königswinter/Bad
Honnef/Oberpleis under 0228-150
Tourist info
Tourist Information Bonn (in a side street at
Münsterplatz), Windeckstraße 1. Tel.: +49 (0)228 - 77 50 00, e-mail:
bonninformation@bonn.de
Topography and landscapes
The city of Bonn is located in the
southwest of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia at the transition from
the Middle Rhine region to the Lower Rhine Bay, which is marked by the
Godesberg Rhine Valley funnel. It extends to 141.1 square kilometers on
both sides of the Rhine. The districts on the left bank of the Rhine
make up around three quarters of the total area.
In the south and
west, the foothills of the Eifel with the Kottenforst, which is part of
the Rhineland Nature Park, and the Voreifel surround the city. North of
Bonn, the Rhine Valley opens up into the Bay of Cologne, which is
accompanied by the foothills from the district of Duisdorf on the
mountain side to the Ville. The Sieg, which flows out here, represents
the natural border in the north-east, the Siebengebirge in the
south-east, while in the east there are still a few districts on the
right bank of the Rhine in the Pleiser hills. Beyond the Siebengebirge,
the Westerwald stretches south-east of Bonn, and beyond the Sieg
lowlands, north-east, is the Bergisches Land.
Bonn has its
geographic center at Bundeskanzlerplatz, which is in the district of
Gronau. The geographical location of the square is ♁50° 43′ 8.8″ N, 7°
7′ 3.3″ E. Bonn's city center, which is not oriented towards the Rhine,
is at an altitude of 56 m to 61 m above sea level . NHN.
The
largest extent of the urban area in the north-south direction is 15
kilometers, in the west-east direction 12.5 kilometers. The city limits
have a length of 61 kilometers.
On the right bank of the Rhine
lies the Ennert, the northern foothills of the Siebengebirge, in the
Bonn city area. To him belongs the Paffelsberg, which is 195.3 m above
sea level. NHN is considered the highest elevation in the city of Bonn.
Other elevations in this ridge are the eponymous Ennert, Holtorfer Hardt
and Roeckesberg, as well as Rabenlay and Kuckstein, each with their
distinctive steep slopes, and Finkenberg to the west. On the left side
of the river are the dominant elevations Venusberg (171 m) and Kreuzberg
(158 m), to the southwest the urban area rises to Kottenforst up to 190
m. The lowest point on the ground is 45.6 m above sea level. NHN on the
Kemper Werth promontory at the mouth of the Sieg.
Neighboring
communities
Ten towns and communities border on the district of Bonn,
all of which – with the exception of Remagen, which is located in the
Ahrweiler district in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate – belong to the
North Rhine-Westphalian Rhein-Sieg district:
City classification
and assignment
Bonn is an independent city with the vehicle
registration number BN.
According to § 3 of the main statute,
Bonn is divided into four districts, which consist of a total of 51
districts. Each city district has its own district council with a
district mayor. In addition, the city consists of 65 statistical
districts, some of which are similar to the districts in name and size.
In addition, Bonn is divided into nine districts by the municipal
statistics office: Bonn central area, Bonn-Southwest, Bonn-Northwest,
Bundesviertel, Godesberg central area, Godesberg outer ring, Beueler
central area, Beueler outer ring and Hardtberg.
In the area of
the city of Bonn there are 21 districts in the boundaries of former
communities.
Bonn belongs to the administrative district of
Cologne. The district government based in Cologne, as the state
authority, exercises local supervision, e.g. about the budget of the
city of Bonn. Furthermore, the district government supervises the
schools in Bonn.
Bonn also belongs to the Rhineland Regional
Council (LVR), which is also based in Cologne. As part of the municipal
self-government for Bonn, the LVR takes Tasks in the field of social
institutions, for example the sponsorship of specialist and in
particular psychiatric hospitals or special schools for disabled
children. Furthermore, for example, the tasks of monument preservation
for Bonn are performed by the LVR.
Settlement geography and
spatial planning
Bonn forms the southern edge of the Rhine-Ruhr
metropolitan region, which is understood as a polycentric conurbation in
North Rhine-Westphalia and stretches along the rivers Rhine and Ruhr,
which give it its name. The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region covers an
area of around 7,000 km² with more than ten million inhabitants, is one
of the five largest metropolitan regions in Europe and is the most
populous of the eleven metropolitan regions in Germany. It is also
located in the middle of the central European economic area, the
so-called blue banana. Parts of the cities of Sankt Augustin and
Königswinter on the right bank of the Rhine belong to the Bonn
conurbation.
Viewed on a large scale, Bonn belongs to the Atlantic-maritime
climate area, i. H. the climate is mild, and generally warm and
temperate. "Cfb" is the Köppen-Geiger classification.
This means
snowless winters with an average of 56 days of frost (lowest temperature
below 0 degrees Celsius) and only ten days of ice (highest daily
temperature below 0 degrees) with an average January temperature of 2.0
degrees. The average temperature in July is 17.6 degrees Celsius, the
average annual temperature is 10.0 degrees. Bonn is thus one of the
warmest regions in Germany. The flowering times in spring start
correspondingly early.
In terms of precipitation, Bonn lies in
the rain shadow of the low mountain ranges bordering to the south. While
the city has an average annual precipitation of only 742 millimeters,
the annual precipitation in the Eifel is over 800 millimeters.
The constantly high relative humidity has a negative effect on people.
With an average of 35 muggy days, Bonn is far ahead of other German
cities. In the vernacular, this is referred to as the "Bonn stimulating
climate". Bonn residents know that this effect can be felt most strongly
in the deepest part of the city, in a former arm of the Rhine, in the
area around the main train station.
One of the reasons for the
excessive humidity is the insufficient air movement in the valley basin,
as the fresh air, which mostly comes from the west, is slowed down by
the northern foothills of the Eifel mountains. The basin is a result of
the topography: the Lower Middle Rhine Valley ends in Bonn and merges
here into the Bay of Cologne. The low level of air movement in turn
influences inner-city warming, so that temperatures within the city area
in July, for example, are on average 3 to 5 degrees Celsius higher than
in the surrounding area.
In the winter months and when the snow
melts, the Rhine often overflows its banks. In the event of flooding,
streets and houses in the districts of Mehlem (on the left bank of the
Rhine) and Beuel (on the right bank of the Rhine) are particularly at
risk.
The regional climate with its peculiarities, with little
snow in winter and muggy in summer, also makes for typical laconic Bonn
idioms, such as the well-known: "Either it's raining, or the barriers
are down."
The first mention of the Roman town of Bonna comes from the history of Tacitus and refers to the year 96 AD. The current name of the city of Bonn can be derived directly from the Roman place name. However, the development was not continuous. In the Middle Ages, for example, the city was sometimes referred to as Bern or, in Latinized form, as Verona, which is documented by historical city seals. The first mention as oppidum Bonnense, i.e. as "City of Bonn", dates back to 1211.
In 1989 Bonn celebrated its 2000th birthday. The city thus
commemorates the establishment of a first fortified Roman camp on the
Rhine in 12 BC., after already 38 BC the Roman governor Agrippa had
settled at Ubier. But people lived in the area of today's urban area
much earlier. Evidence of this is the 14,000-year-old double grave at
Oberkassel, as well as a ditch and wooden palisades that have been found
in the Venusberg area and date from around 4080 BC.
While the
Roman presence in Bonna was still modest before the birth of Christ,
this was to change after the Romans were defeated in the Varus Battle in
9 AD. In the decades that followed, a legion was stationed here, which
set up the Bonn legionary camp in the northern area of today's Bonn.
Traders and craftsmen settled in a vicus around the camp and south of it
along today's Adenauerallee.
The end of the Roman Empire was
accompanied by the decline of Bonn in late antiquity and the early
Middle Ages. During the raids of the Vikings in the Rhineland, Bonn was
burned twice in 882 and in 883 the newly rebuilt city was attacked,
burned and plundered again by the Normans.
In Frankish times and
finally in the 9th and 10th centuries, a spiritual center developed in
the area of the Bonn Minster, the Villa Basilica, and a market
settlement in the area of today's market. 1243 is considered the year in
which full city rights were granted.
The outcome of the Battle of
Worringen in 1288 was of great importance for the further development of
the city. The Electors of Cologne made Bonn - along with Brühl and
Poppelsdorf - one of their residences and ultimately their residence.
The magnificent palaces built by the electors in the 17th and 18th
centuries gave the city its baroque splendor.
This epoch ended
with the occupation by French troops on October 8, 1794. Almost two
decades of occupation by Napoleon's troops followed. The occupation
taxes on food, clothing and accommodation as well as the loss of the
electoral state administration led to an impoverishment of the
population and a decrease in the number of inhabitants by around 20%.
The French brought a civil code (Code civil) and a municipal
constitution to Bonn. Even under French occupation, medium-sized and
larger industrial companies, especially in the textile industry, settled
here. The French also pursued consistent secularization: properties
belonging to the ecclesiastical electorate, especially the electoral
buildings, became state property. Areas on the right bank of the Rhine
in today's Bonn in Vilich came into the possession of the Prince of
Nassau-Usingen: Oberkassel belonged to the Duchy of Berg, a French
satellite state. With the Treaty of Lunéville of February 9, 1801, the
Rhine also became the French eastern border near Bonn. Bonn became the
seat of a sub-prefecture in the newly formed Rhine-Moselle department.
After the defeat of the French army in Russia (1812) and at the
Battle of the Nations near Leipzig, the French evacuated Bonn in January
1814.
In the course of the resolutions of the Congress of Vienna,
Bonn fell to Prussia in 1815. In the decades that followed, the city was
shaped by the university, which was newly founded by the Prussian
government on October 18, 1818. The founder and namesake was King
Friedrich Wilhelm III. of Prussia. At the end of the 18th century there
was a university in Bonn that was closed in 1794 during the French
occupation. The Prussian re-establishment was not connected to the
university from the electoral period, but was part of a founding program
that included the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin and the
Silesian Friedrich Wilhelm University in Breslau. The addition
Rheinische in the name of the Bonn university was intended to identify
it as a sister of the Berlin and Breslau universities. In fact, over the
next 100 years it became the preferred place of study for the
Hohenzollern princes. It was also called the "Prince's University"
because the then Prussian Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, his son Prince
Wilhelm, and his four sons studied there. Other sons of aristocratic
families also preferred studying at that university in the 19th century.
Before the founding in Bonn, Cologne had been the rival for founding a
university. The deciding factor was probably that Bonn's "enlightened
tradition" seemed better suited to a denominational parity university
compared to "holy Cologne". But there were also purely practical reasons
for Bonn: With the old electoral palace and the Poppelsdorf palace,
suitable properties already existed.
Professors, students, civil
servants and officers came to Bonn from 1815. Among them were numerous
Protestants from the Prussian provinces, which was unusual in the
"Catholic" Rhineland. The Prussians also made Bonn a garrison town. In
the course of this, Bonn also became popular as a retirement home for
military personnel. After the founding of the Reich in 1871, tourism
also received an upswing in the course of the “Rhine Romanticism” of
those years.
After the First World War, the city was occupied
first by Canadians, then by the British and finally by the French until
1926.
More than 1,000 citizens of Bonn, most of whom were of
Jewish descent, were murdered during the National Socialist era
(Holocaust). About 8,000 people had to leave their hometowns, were
arrested or imprisoned in concentration camps. When the Second World War
ended with the invasion of Bonn by American troops on March 9, 1945, the
degree of destruction of the buildings was 30 percent. Of these, 70
percent were slightly to severely damaged and 30 percent completely
destroyed residential buildings. More than 4,000 Bonn residents died in
bombing raids. On May 28, 1945, Bonn became part of the British zone of
occupation, after which the enclave of Bonn existed from 1949 to 1955.
After the Second World War, the city experienced rapid development
and expansion, especially after the decision in favor of Bonn as the
provisional seat of government of the new Federal Republic of Germany
instead of Frankfurt am Main on November 29, 1949 (see capital issue of
the Federal Republic of Germany). – As a result of the relocation of
parliament, parts of the government, a large part of the diplomatic
representations and many lobbyists and the At the turn of the
millennium, the city went through another change due to the
privatization of the Bundespost. The remaining ministries, federal
authorities involved, administrative centers of large German companies,
international organizations and institutions of science and science
administration are the pillars of this structural change, which has so
far been rated as successful and continues to this day.
Incorporations
The city of Bonn has been enlarged several times
through incorporations. Around 1900 Bonn had grown considerably. As a
result, on June 1, 1904, the towns of Poppelsdorf,Endenich, Kessenich
and Dottendorf, with which Bonn had grown structurally, were
incorporated.
The regional reform of August 1, 1969, which went
hand in hand with the law on municipal reorganization of the Bonn area
("Bonn Law"), roughly doubled the city's population and merged the Sieg
district with the Bonn district to form the Rhein-Sieg district. The
once independent towns of Bad Godesberg and Beuel and the municipality
of Duisdorf became separate districts of Bonn.
The district of
Beuel on the right bank of the Rhine also received the villages of
Holzlar, Hoholz and Oberkassel, which until then had belonged to the
Siegkreis. Bonn itself was expanded to include the towns of Ippendorf,
Röttgen, Ückesdorf, Lessenich/Meßdorf and Buschdorf of the former
district of Bonn. Lengsdorf and Duisdorf, together with some new
development areas, formed the Hardtberg district.
The city of Bad
Godesberg had previously incorporated several places. Plittersdorf and
Rüngsdorf had already joined Godesberg in 1899, and Friesdorf was added
in 1904, meaning that Bad Godesberg had actually already grown together
with Bonn. In 1915, Bad Godesberg had grown out of the valley to the
southwest, so that Muffendorf was incorporated. On July 1, 1935,
Lannesdorf and Mehlem became districts of Bad Godesberg.