Bonn

Bonn

DE
Population335,913
Bonn (German pronunciation: [bɔn] ) is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This metropolitan area, Germany's largest, is also the second largest in the European Union by GDP, with over 11 million residents. Bonn served as the capital of West Germany from 1949 until 1990 and was the seat of government for reunified Germany until 1999, when the government relocated to Berlin. The city holds historical significance as the birthplace of Germany's current constitution, the Basic Law. Founded in the 1st century BC as a settlement of the Ubii and later part of the Roman province Germania Inferior, Bonn is among Germany's oldest cities. It was the capital city of the Electorate of Cologne from 1597 to 1794 and served as the residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne. The period during which Bonn was the capital of West Germany is often referred to by historians as the Bonn Republic. Following the German reunification, a political compromise known as the Berlin-Bonn Act ensured that the German federal government retained a significant presence in Bonn. As of 2019, approximately one-third of all ministerial jobs remain in the city. Bonn is considered an unofficial secondary capital of Germany and is the location of the secondary seats of the president, the chancellor, and the Bundesrat. Bonn is also the location of the primary seats of six federal ministries and twenty federal authorities. The city's title as Federal City (German: Bundesstadt) underscores its political importance. The global headquarters of Deutsche Post DHL and Deutsche Telekom, both DAX-listed corporations, are in Bonn. The city is home to the University of Bonn and a total of 20 United Nations institutions, the highest number in all of Germany. These institutions include the headquarters for Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UN Volunteers programme. Birthplace of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, a center of Rhenish carnival, and its geography by the Middle Rhine make it an important tourist destination.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in Bonn

Venner Ringwall

Venner Ringwall

Altes Rathaus

Altes Rathaus

The Altes Rathaus at Bonner Marktplatz was built between 1737 and 1738 in the Rococo style by the electoral court …

Poppelsdorfer Schloss

Poppelsdorfer Schloss

Poppelsdorf Palace (German: Poppelsdorfer Schloss) is a Baroque building in the Poppelsdorf district of Bonn, western Germany, which is now …

Kunstmuseum Bonn

Kunstmuseum Bonn

The Kunstmuseum Bonn or Bonn Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Bonn, Germany, founded in 1947. The …

Bundeskunsthalle

Bundeskunsthalle

Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany) is one of the …

Kanzlerbungalow

Kanzlerbungalow

Stadthalle Bad Godesberg

Stadthalle Bad Godesberg

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

The Beethoven Monument is a large bronze statue of Ludwig van Beethoven that stands on the Münsterplatz in Bonn, Beethoven's …

Sterntor

Sterntor

Kurfürstliches Gärtnerhaus

Kurfürstliches Gärtnerhaus

Marktbrunnen

Marktbrunnen

Stadtmuseum Siegburg

Stadtmuseum Siegburg

Koblenzer Tor

Koblenzer Tor

Frauenmuseum

Frauenmuseum

The Bonn Women's Museum (German: Frauenmuseum Bonn) is a women's museum in Bonn, Germany. It was founded in 1981 by …

August Macke Haus

August Macke Haus

The August-Macke-Haus or August Macke House is a museum in Bonn, Germany, opened in 1991, dedicated to the expressionist painter …

Beethoven-Haus

Beethoven-Haus

The Beethoven House (German: Beethoven-Haus) in Bonn, Germany, is a memorial site, museum, and cultural institution serving various purposes. Founded …

Godesburg

Godesburg

The Godesburg is a castle in Bad Godesberg, a formerly independent part of Bonn, Germany. Built in the early 13th …

Rheinisches Malermuseum Bonn

Rheinisches Malermuseum Bonn

The Rheinisches Malermuseum is an art museum in Bonn, Germany. The museum is owned by a private association and has …

Redoute

Redoute

The Redoute in Bad Godesberg, now part of Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is a hall opened in 1792 for balls …

Palais Schaumburg

Palais Schaumburg

Palais Schaumburg is a neoclassical-style building in Bonn, Germany, which served as the primary official seat of the German Federal …

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