Bonn is an exciting and historic city that has successfully developed from a provisional capital to a location for top-class international institutions, large DAX corporations, a multi-award-winning university of excellence and many small start-ups. A successful transformation.
The recent history of the city of Bonn is inextricably linked to the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. From a Roman fort, to the baroque residence of the Cologne electors and a Prussian provincial town, to the cradle of post-war democracy and the capital of a new Federal Republic - this spectacular rise makes Bonn's history (and present) unique.
Bonn as the cradle of the Basic Law
After the Six-Power Conference issued its "London Recommendations" in June 1948, the course was set for a partial state in the western occupation zones of Germany. In the same year, the constituent assembly, the "Parliamentary Council", began drafting a new provisional constitution for the future democratic state in Bonn. The Basic Law was promulgated on May 23, 1949.
In the Parliamentary Council, 65 members from the western state parliaments (61 men and four women) set to work in Bonn to create the basis for a "contentious" democracy that could defend itself against any hostility. In Museum Koenig Bonn (opens in a new tab), then known as "Museum Koenig", they thus laid the foundations for the political life of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was of particular importance to all those involved that the new constitution embodied a liberal, equal, federal and participatory spirit. At the same time, the name itself was intended to make it clear that it was only a provisional arrangement due to the division of Germany. For this reason, the suggestion of Hamburg mayor Max Brauer to call the constitution the "Basic Law" was followed. It is thanks to the four "mothers of the Basic Law" that the Federal German constitution guaranteed full equality for women.
Bonn as the federal capital
However, Bonn was not left with the honor of being the seat of the Parliamentary Council alongside Frankfurt and Weimar as one of the historic German constitutional cities. Although Frankfurt am Main was the favorite in the election for a new capital, Bonn won the vote on November 3, 1949 with a majority of 200 to 176 votes. The city on the Rhine, which had 100,000 inhabitants at the time, became the new political center of the young democracy. It is not known whether this decision came about due to the vehement advocacy of the first Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, who was rumored to have been reluctant to leave his roses in Rhöndorf near Bonn. What is certain, however, is that many appreciated the city on the Rhine precisely because of its modesty and that the election was seen as a positive signal to abandon Berlin as the capital of a united Germany.
After the first beginnings of political work in provisional offices, numerous new buildings were built during the "Bonn Republic" (opens in a new tab) (1949 to 1990), which still shape Bonn's cityscape today: The Foreign Office, the Chancellor's Bungalow or the "Lange Eugen", the former high-rise building for members of parliament. Today, they are used in a variety of ways, primarily by the United Nations and other international institutions.
Many Bonn residents fondly remember international guests of state being welcomed on the Bonn City Hall steps (opens in a new tab) during their state visits, such as John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and Mikhail Gorbachev. Many of them stayed in the former guest house of the Federal Government on the Petersberg, including Emperor Haile Selassi of Ethiopia and the Chairman of the Soviet CPSU, Leonid Brezhnev.
Bonn as a second political center
The reunification of Germany brought about a major change for the people of Bonn when the Bundestag decided on June 20, 1991 that Berlin, as the capital of a united Germany, would once again take over the seat of parliament and the core areas of government functions. Part of the government responsibility remained on the Rhine. The Berlin-Bonn Act of 1994 established a division of labor between the two cities. This established Bonn as the second political center in Germany, which is also reflected in the term "federal city", adopted from Switzerland, which underlines the federal character of the political system.
Six of the 14 federal ministries have their first offices in Bonn:
- Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (opens in a new tab)
All other ministries have a second office in Bonn, including the Federal Foreign Office. The second offices of the Federal Chancellor and Federal President as well as a branch office of the Bundesrat are still located here as constitutional bodies.
In addition, an impressive 20 federal authorities have moved from Berlin and Frankfurt to the Rhine, such as the Federal Cartel Office, the Federal Audit Office and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
Bonn as a location for international politics
However, Bonn's political activities are not limited to the national level. The federal city is active in European and international networks. It has been a UN city since 1996 and the number of international institutions based here has grown steadily since then. Bonn has also established itself as a venue for high-level international conferences.
Bonn is a lively business location (opens in a new tab) where global players and traditional companies coexist. This, together with its importance as a center of science, has contributed to Bonn's continuously growing population. The structural change (opens in a new tab) that has taken place is particularly visible in the former federal district. Over the past 20 years, a new district has grown up there, which includes the World Conference Center Bonn (opens in a new tab) (WCCB) and the United Nations Campus. Overall, more than a fifth of all jobs in Bonn have been established in the Bundesviertel since 1991, in more than 90 companies and institutions with more than 45,000 jobs.
On the trail of the Bonn Republic: the path to democracy
If you want to experience the Bonn Republic with all your senses, you can do so on foot or by bike and public transport on the " Path of Democracy (opens in a new tab)" in the former federal district and in the Bonn area. The "Path of Democracy", which was realized in 2004, is a cooperation project between the City of Bonn and the Haus der Geschichte Foundation. It presents places that have shaped the history of German democracy since 1949: parliament and government buildings, embassies and state representations, places of party and media history and democratic protest.
On walks of varying lengths around the city, visitors can visit up to 65 buildings and institutions, where image and text panels illustrate their historical significance. Guided tours of the city of Bonn are also offered; individual buildings and places of remembrance can also be visited. The online offer for the "Path of Democracy" also includes the option of navigating from place to place using a smartphone. In addition to nine different route suggestions, you can put together your own favorite route according to themes. The walk is rounded off with historical recordings and audio contributions on special events in German history. Of course, you can also experience the historical sites from the comfort of your own home via the website.
Anniversary year "75 years of the Basic Law"
2023 and 2024 are important anniversaries for the Federal Republic of Germany and Bonn in particular: September 1, 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Parliamentary Council in Bonn and May 23, 2024 marks the proclamation of the Basic Law with the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn. Under the motto "75 years of the Basic Law - Democracy made in Bonn", the City of Bonn and its partner organizations want to celebrate the anniversary year with many activities and events.
Information on the anniversary year is available at:
Bonn International Democracy Award
As the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven's liberal, cosmopolitan spirit and the cradle of the German Basic Law, the City of Bonn is particularly committed to strengthening democracy at local, national and supranational level. This is why the Bonn International Democracy Award (opens in a new tab) was established in 2009. It is a symbol of the commitment of people who fight for freedom, democracy and human rights worldwide. The prize is awarded by the Bonn International Democracy Prize Association to natural and legal persons from all over the world.
The aim of the association is to strengthen and spread democratic convictions worldwide. It builds a bridge between the successful experiences of the Federal Republic of Germany and international developments in democratization, with a clear reference to Bonn as the birthplace of the most successful democracy on German soil to date. Previous winners include Małgorzata Maria Gersdorf, Leymah Roberta Gbowee, Federica Mogherini, Reporters Without Borders, Prof. Yadh Ben Achour, Dr. Shirin Ebadi and Václav Havel. The next award ceremony for the 10,000 euro prize will take place in 2024.
Highlights of the city's history
Of course, Bonn's history did not begin with the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. Bonn is undoubtedly one of the most traditional cities on the Rhine: Stone Age tools, Roman legionaries, medieval Cassius Abbey, electoral residence, Napoleonic occupation of the Rhineland, royal university city - just a few highlights from the city's eventful history (opens in a new tab) show that Bonn's journey through the millennia is an exciting book.
Oberkassel double grave
The region around Bonn was already inhabited by humans in the Stone Age. This is proven by hand tools up to 70,000 years old, found in the Marienforster Valley in Bad Godesberg, which are attributed to the Neanderthals. The spectacular chance discovery of a double grave during quarry work in 1914 in the Oberkassel Ley on the right bank of the Rhine dates back to the Neolithic period. Scientific investigations revealed that the two people were buried there around 12,000 years ago. The very well-preserved skeletons of the older man and the young woman are the second oldest finds of Homo sapiens in Germany. The bones of a dog in the grave are one of the first signs of domestic animal husbandry. The find can be viewed today in the LVR-Landesmuseum.
Roman Bonn
The nucleus of today's city of Bonn was a military camp that Drusus, the stepson of Emperor Augustus, is said to have founded. The first written mention of it dates back to 11 BC. The camp grew into the legionary camp "Castra Bonnensia" with 7,000 soldiers and the Romans built the first bridge over the Rhine. The fort was part of the 400-kilometre-long, important border fortifications of the Roman Empire. Today, its relics are a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the "Lower Germanic Limes". For several hundred years, life in the region was shaped by the Roman military and the civilian settlement that developed alongside it. Evidence from this period can still be seen in the townscape today, including tombstones and consecration stones. In addition, Roman relics are often found during construction work, ranging from a few finds to residential and temple buildings.
Actors in the communication of history
If you would like to find out more about the individual chapters of the city's history, there are many opportunities to do so, for example at the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (opens in a new tab) or the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn (opens in a new tab).
House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany (HdG)
Visitors to the Haus der Geschichte can look forward to a journey through German history since 1945. The multimedia exhibition begins with the post-war years and the division of Germany and continues through the Cold War and the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1989 to the present day. Political developments form the central theme of the exhibition, but small, private events are also present. For example, you can walk through a "raisin bomber", watch advertisements from the 1950s in the cinema or share the experiences of so-called "guest workers" in eyewitness accounts. The Haus der Geschichte has additional offers for many different interest groups: Guided tours, audio guides and educational materials.
LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn
The LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn is the central museum for the history of the Rhineland, under the auspices of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR). It offers unique insights into the cultural history of the region and its archaeological collection is of international importance. The exhibition shows treasures of archaeology, art and cultural history from over 400,000 years of settlement history and traces the development of the region from its beginnings to the present day with the exhibits. There is a wealth of interesting objects, from the skeleton of a Neanderthal man to Celtic jewelry and Roman statues to medieval goldsmith art. In addition to its museum work, the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn is a leading national and international archaeological research institute.