German Cities Bonn

One of the most important German cities during the last fifty years, Bonn is located in the westernmost province of North Rhine Westphalia. From 1945 through 1990, Bonn served as the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, and then as the acting seat of government for a further decade while the capital was returned to Berlin. Bonn covers 54.5 square miles (141.22 km. sq.) and has a population of just over 300,000, making it one of the smaller metropolitan areas of Germany. In fact, it is the nineteenth largest of all German cities. It is located about 12.4 miles south of Cologne along the Rhine River. Although the federal government shifted gradually back to Berlin following the Reunification of Germany, a number of lower level government agencies remain in Bonn, and it is because of this that Bonn is known as a Bundesstadt, or “Federal City.”

Like many other German cities, Bonn’s history stretches back before the Middle Ages. The ancient Romans founded the city of Bonn in 11 BCE, when they relocated an allied tribe, the Ubii, along with a small Roman garrison, to the area currently occupied by the old town center. Later, during the first century CE, the Romans constructed a fort to the north of the city, which stood for hundreds of years and was used by many West German monarchs during the Middle Ages. However, the fort eventually fell into disuse, and its materials were cannibalized in order to build the old Bonn city wall.

During the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and beyond, Bonn expanded rapidly, and its people constructed buildings of various architectural designs, from the Romanesque to the Baroque. Various monarchs expanded the city’s powers throughout their reigns, making Bonn one of the most important German cities. In 1794, Bonn was conquered by the French, and following the Napoleonic wars, it was annexed as part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Bonn’s influence waned, however, following the German Unification in 1871, and remained a city on the periphery until the end of World War II, when Konrad Adenauer selected it to be the capital of West Germany. Following the Reunification of Germany, the capital city was returned to Berlin in 1999.

There are many other remarkable things about Bonn. As in other German cities, the economy of Bonn has thrived since the end of the Second World War. Today, Bonn is home to worldwide companies, such as T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom) and DHL. The University of Bonn, which was founded in 1818, is one of the largest public universities in Germany, educating around 27,000 students each year. There are also a number of sightseeing destinations located in and around the city, such as Godesburg Fortress and the Post Tower, which is home to Deutsche Post AG and DHL, and is the tallest building in the state.