Swisttal is a municipality in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . Swisttal received its names from a brook named Swist , which flows in the middle of the municipality.
77-472: Swisttal is situated approximately 15 km west of Bonn . It covers an area of approx. 65 km² (of which 10 km² is forest, part of the Kottenforst , and 49 km² is used for agriculture). The municipality consists of the following parishes: as well as the hamlets of Hohn, Vershoven, Moemerzheim and Muettinghoven. The local administration is situated between the villages Ludendorf and Essig. In
154-563: 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 theatres of war ranging from modern-day Algeria to what is now 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
231-548: A production site in Bonn. Since April 2018, the head office of the company is located in the Rhineland-Palatinate municipality of Grafschaft . Rhenish Carnival A variety of customs and traditions are associated with Carnival celebrations in the German-speaking countries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria . They can vary considerably from country to country, but also from one small region to another. This
308-528: A total length of 61 km (38 mi). The geographical centre of Bonn is the Bundeskanzlerplatz (Chancellor Square) in Bonn-Gronau. The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is divided into five governmental districts (German: Regierungsbezirk ), and Bonn is part of the governmental district of Cologne (German: Regierungsbezirk Köln ). Within this governmental district, the city of Bonn
385-417: A woman in black storms the city hall to get the "key" for the city-/townhalls from its mayor. In many places "fools" take over city halls or municipal government and "wild" women cut men's ties wherever they get hold of them. Also, as a tradition, women are allowed to kiss every man who passes their way. On the following days, there are parades in the street organized by the local carnival clubs. The highlight of
462-586: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bonn Bonn ( German pronunciation: [bɔn] ) is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia , located on the banks of the Rhine . It has a population of over 300,000. About 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of Cologne , Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area and
539-516: Is a large area of protected woods on the hills west of the city centre. It is about 40 square kilometres (15 square miles) in area and part of the Rhineland Nature Park (1,045 km or 403 sq mi). In the very south of the city, on the border with Wachtberg and Rhineland-Palatinate , there is an extinct volcano, the Rodderberg , featuring a popular area for hikes. Also south of
616-578: Is also on display in the August-Macke-Haus , located in Macke's former home where he lived from 1911 to 1914. The Bundeskunsthalle (full name: Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland or Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany), focuses on the crossroads of culture, arts, and science. To date, it attracted more than 17 million visitors. One of its main objectives
693-477: Is an urban district in its own right. The urban district of Bonn is then again divided into four administrative municipal districts (German: Stadtbezirk ). These are Bonn, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Bonn-Beuel and Bonn-Hardtberg. 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. Bonn has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dobk ). In
770-438: Is an art museum founded in 1947. The Kunstmuseum exhibits both temporary exhibitions and its permanent collection. The latter is focused on Rhenish Expressionism and post-war German art. German artists on display include Georg Baselitz , Joseph Beuys , Hanne Darboven , Anselm Kiefer , Blinky Palermo and Wolf Vostell . The museum owns one of the largest collections of artwork by Expressionist painter August Macke . His work
847-559: Is called Bundeswahlkreis Bonn (096). In the German federal election 2017 , Ulrich Kelber ( SPD ) was elected a member of German Federal parliament, the Bundestag by direct mandate. It is his fifth term. Katja Dörner representing Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and Alexander Graf Lambsdorff for FDP were elected as well. Kelber resigned in 2019 because he was appointed Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information . As Dörner
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#1732854586477924-553: Is called Altweiber (Old women day) in Düsseldorf or Wieverfastelovend (The women's day) in Cologne. This celebrates the beginning of the "female presence in carnival", which began in 1824, when washer-women celebrated a "workless day" on the Thursday before carnival. They founded a committee in 1824 to strengthen their presence in the still male-dominated carnival celebrations. In each city,
1001-445: Is located in the nearby town of Siegburg and serves as Bonn's station on the high-speed rail line between Cologne and Frankfurt , offering faster connections to Southern Germany. It can be reached by Stadtbahn line 66 (approx. 25 minutes from central Bonn). Bonn has a Stadtbahn light rail and a tram system. The Bonn Stadtbahn has 4 regular lines that connect the main north–south axis (centre to Bad Godesberg ) and quarters east of
1078-682: Is on the premises of the Museum Koenig where the Parlamentarischer Rat first met. The Deutsches Museum Bonn , affiliated with one of the world's foremost science museums, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, is an interactive science museum focusing on post-war German scientists, engineers, and inventions. Other museums include the Beethoven House , birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven ,
1155-447: Is one of Germany's few 24-hour airports, and is a hub for Eurowings and cargo operators FedEx Express and UPS Airlines . The federal motorway ( Autobahn ) A59 connects the airport with the city. Long distance and regional trains to and from the airport stop at Cologne/Bonn Airport station . Another major airport within a one-hour drive by car is Düsseldorf International Airport . Bonn's central railway station, Bonn Hauptbahnhof
1232-564: Is one of the foremost German museums of contemporary German history, with branches in Berlin and Leipzig . In its permanent exhibition, the Haus der Geschichte presents German history from 1945 until the present, also shedding light on Bonn's own role as former capital of West Germany. Numerous temporary exhibitions emphasize different features, such as Nazism or important personalities in German history. The Kunstmuseum Bonn or Bonn Museum of Modern Art
1309-525: Is reflected in the various names given to these festivities occurring before Lent . In parts of eastern and southern Germany, as well as in Austria, the carnival is called Fasching . In Franconia and Baden-Württemberg as well as some other parts of Germany, the carnival is called Fas(t)nacht , Fassenacht or Fasnet ; in Switzerland, Fasnacht . While Germany's carnival traditions are mostly celebrated in
1386-519: Is situated 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) north-east from the city centre of Bonn. With around 10.3 million passengers passing through it in 2015, it is the seventh-largest passenger airport in Germany and the third-largest in terms of cargo operations. By traffic units, which combines cargo and passengers, the airport is in fifth position in Germany. As of March 2015, Cologne Bonn Airport had services to 115 passenger destinations in 35 countries. The airport
1463-646: Is the Kurfürstliches Schloss , built as a residence for the prince-elector and now the main building of the University of Bonn . The Poppelsdorfer Allee is an avenue flanked by Chestnut trees which had the first horsecar of the city. It connects the Kurfürstliches Schloss with the Poppelsdorfer Schloss , a palace that was built as a resort for the prince-electors in the first half of
1540-455: Is the city's biggest park intra muros. The Rhine promenade and the Alter Zoll (Old Toll Station) are in direct neighbourhood of the city centre and are popular amongst both residents and visitors. The Arboretum Park Härle is an arboretum with specimens dating to back to 1870. The Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden) is affiliated with the university. The natural reserve of Kottenforst
1617-442: Is the city's main public transportation hub. It lies just outside the old town and near the central university buildings. It is served by regional ( S-Bahn and Regionalbahn ) and long-distance ( IC and ICE ) trains. Daily, more than 67,000 people travel via Bonn Hauptbahnhof. In late 2016, around 80 long distance and more than 165 regional trains departed to or from Bonn every day. Another long-distance station, ( Siegburg/Bonn ),
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#17328545864771694-603: Is then temporarily suspended during Advent and Christmas, and picks up again in earnest in the New Year. The time of merrymaking in the streets is officially declared open at the Alter Markt [ de ] during the Cologne Carnival on the Thursday before the beginning of Lent. The main event is the street carnival that takes place in the period between the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday. Carnival Thursday
1771-543: Is to show the cultural heritage outside of Germany or Europe. Next to its changing exhibitions, the Bundeskunsthalle regularly hosts concerts, discussion panels, congresses, and lectures. The Museum Koenig is Bonn's natural history museum. Affiliated with the University of Bonn , it is also a zoological research institution housing the Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere . Politically interesting, it
1848-699: The Altes Rathaus , which is also used for representative and official purposes. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: Four delegates represent the Federal city of Bonn in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia . The last election took place in May 2022. The current delegates are Guido Déus ( CDU ), Christos Katzidis (CDU), Joachim Stamp ( FDP ), Tim Achtermeyer (Greens) and Dr. Julia Höller (Greens) Bonn's constituency
1925-622: The Bonn Republic . Due to a political compromise ( Berlin-Bonn Act ) following the reunification, the German federal government maintains a substantial presence in Bonn. Roughly a third of all ministerial jobs are located in Bonn as of 2019 , and the city is considered a second, unofficial, capital of the country. Bonn is the secondary seat of the President , the Chancellor , and the Bundesrat , and
2002-740: The A562 (connecting the right with the left bank of the Rhine south of Bonn), and the A565 (connecting the A59 and the A555 with the A61 to the southwest). Three Bundesstraßen, which have a general 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour) speed limit in contrast to the Autobahn, connect Bonn to its immediate surroundings (Bundesstraßen B9, B42 and B56). With Bonn being divided into two parts by
2079-628: The Low-Saxon-speaking parts of the Netherlands. It is traditionally connected with farm servants or generally young men going from house to house in the villages and collecting sausages, eggs and bacon, which were consumed in a festivity on the same evening. While going from house to house they wore masks and made noise. The old tradition vanished in many places, in other places under influence of German carnival traditions it came to resemble carnival with its parades. The carnival season, also known as
2156-651: The Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn (Rhinish Regional Museum Bonn), the Bonn Women's Museum , the Rheinisches Malermuseum and the Arithmeum . There are several parks, leisure and protected areas in and around Bonn. The Rheinaue [ de ] is Bonn's most important leisure park, with its role being comparable to what Central Park is for New York City. It lies on the banks of the Rhine and
2233-687: The Rhine , three bridges are crucial for inner-city road traffic: the Konrad-Adenauer-Brücke (A562) in the South, the Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke (A565) in the North, and the Kennedybrücke (B56) in the centre. In addition, regular ferries operate between Bonn-Mehlem and Königswinter , Bonn- Bad Godesberg and Königswinter- Niederdollendorf , and Bonn-Graurheindorf and Niederkassel -Mondorf. Located in
2310-615: 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 . Bona is Celtic for tribe. 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
2387-525: The minster , grew the medieval city of Bonn. Local legends arose from this period that the name of the village came from Saint Boniface via Vulgar Latin *Bonnifatia , but this proved to be a myth. 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 city gained more influence and grew considerably. The city
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2464-509: The second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, with over 11 million inhabitants. The city served as the capital of West Germany from its formation in 1949 until 1990 and as the capital of reunited Germany from 1990 until 1999 when the seat of government was moved back to Berlin . Bonn is the birthplace of Germany's present day constitution, the Basic Law . Founded in
2541-545: The "Fifth Season", begins each year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m. and finishes on Ash Wednesday of the following year with the main festivities happening around Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). Although the festivities and parties start as early as the beginning of January, the actual carnival week starts on the Fat Thursday ( Weiberfastnacht ) before Ash Wednesday (in Germany). The big German carnival parades are held on
2618-431: The 18,000 federal officials remain in Bonn. A total of 19 United Nations (UN) institutions operate from Bonn today. The current mayor of Bonn is Katja Dörner of Alliance 90/The Greens since 2020. She defeated incumbent mayor Ashok-Alexander Sridharan in the most recent mayoral election, which was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September. The results were as follows: The Bonn city council governs
2695-718: The 18th century, and whose grounds are now a botanical garden (the Botanischer Garten Bonn ). This axis is interrupted by a railway line and Bonn Hauptbahnhof , a building erected in 1883/84. The Beethoven Monument stands on the Münsterplatz, which is flanked by the Bonn Minster , one of Germany's oldest churches. The three highest structures in the city are the WDR radio mast in Bonn-Venusberg (180 m or 590 ft),
2772-496: The 1st century AD , the army then chose a site to the north of the emerging town in what is now 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
2849-528: The 1st century BC as an Ubii and then Roman settlement in the province Germania Inferior , Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities. It was the capital city of the Electorate of Cologne from 1597 to 1794, residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne . From 1949 to 1990, Bonn was the capital of West Germany . The era when Bonn served as the capital of West Germany is referred to by historians as
2926-524: The Alemannic or Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht in Swabia (Southwestern Germany), Switzerland , Alsace and Vorarlberg (Western Austria). The Rhenish Carnival ( Rheinischer Karneval , mainly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate ) is famous for celebrations such as parades and costume balls. Cologne Carnival is the largest and most famous. Cologne, Düsseldorf and Mainz are held in
3003-464: The Federal Republic of Germany. Bonn's time as the capital of West Germany is commonly referred to as the Bonn Republic , in contrast to the Berlin Republic which followed reunification in 1990. German reunification in 1990 made Berlin the nominal capital of Germany again. This decision, however, did not mandate that the republic's political institutions would also move. While some argued for
3080-533: The Rhine ( Beuel and Oberkassel ), as well as many nearby towns like Brühl , Wesseling , Sankt Augustin , Siegburg , Königswinter , and Bad Honnef . All lines serve the Central Station and two lines continue to Cologne, where they connect to the Cologne Stadtbahn . The Bonn tram system consists of two lines that connect closer quarters in the south, north and east of Bonn to the Central Station. While
3157-461: The Rhineland have their own individual carnival traditions. Nationally famous are the carnival in Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf and Mainz . In the Rhineland, the culmination of the carnival around Rosenmontag is considered to be the "fifth season of the year". Clubs organize show events called Sitzung with club members or invited guests performing dance, comedy and songs in costumes. Around Mainz
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3234-464: The Stadtbahn mostly has its own right-of-way, the tram often operates on general road lanes. A few sections of track are used by both systems. These urban rail lines are supplemented by a bus system of roughly 30 regular lines, especially since some parts of the city like Hardtberg and most of Bad Godesberg completely lack a Stadtbahn/Tram connection. Several lines offer night services, especially during
3311-555: The US 1st Infantry Division captured the city during the battle of 8–9 March 1945. After the Second World War, Bonn was in the British zone of occupation. Following the advocacy of West Germany's first chancellor, Konrad Adenauer , a former Cologne Mayor and a native of that area, Bonn became the de facto capital, officially designated the "temporary seat of the Federal institutions," of
3388-575: The capital of the reunified Germany, and they felt that locating the capital in a major city like Frankfurt or Hamburg would imply a permanent capital and even weaken support in West Germany for reunification. In 1949, the Parliamentary Council in Bonn drafted and adopted the current German constitution, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany . As the political centre of West Germany, Bonn saw six Chancellors and six Presidents of
3465-429: The carnival period however is Rose Monday ( Rosenmontag ). Although Rose Monday is not an official holiday in the Rhineland, in practice most public life comes to a halt and almost all workplaces are closed. The biggest parades are on Rose Monday, the famous Rosenmontagsumzug (Rose Monday Parade), e.g. in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz, and many other cities. During these events, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate in
3542-512: The city alongside the mayor. It used to be based in the Rococo -style Altes Rathaus (old city hall), built in 1737, located adjacent to Bonn's central market square. However, due to the enlargement of Bonn in 1969 through the incorporation of Beuel and Bad Godesberg, it moved into the larger Stadthaus facilities further north. This was necessary for the city council to accommodate an increased number of representatives. The mayor of Bonn still sits in
3619-596: The city became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany . Bonn was of little relevance in these years. During the Second World War , Bonn acquired military significance because of its strategic location on the Rhine, which formed a natural barrier to easy penetration into the German heartland from the west. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Bonn on 7 March 1945, and
3696-456: The city of Bonn is the University of Bonn (including the university clinics) and Stadtwerke Bonn also follows as a major employer. On the other hand, there are several traditional, nationally known private companies in Bonn such as luxury food producers Verpoorten and Kessko, the Klais organ manufacture and the Bonn flag factory. The largest confectionery manufacturer in Europe, Haribo , has its founding headquarters (founded in 1920) and
3773-403: The city, there is the Siebengebirge which is part of the lower half of the Middle Rhine region. The nearby upper half of the Middle Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more than 40 castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages and important German vineyards. Named after Konrad Adenauer , the first post-war Chancellor of West Germany, Cologne Bonn Airport
3850-432: The fort along with the remnants of the troops stationed here. During the final decades of Imperial rule, the troops were supplied by Franci chieftains employed by the Roman administration. When the end came, these troops simply shifted their allegiances to the new barbarian rulers, the Kingdom of the Franks . From the fort, the Bonnburg, as well as from a new medieval settlement to the South centered around what later became
3927-456: The fort's main road (now, Römerstraße). Once past the South Gate, the Cologne–Mainz road continued along what are now streets named Belderberg, Adenauerallee et al. On both sides of the road, the local settlement, Bonna , grew into a sizeable Roman town. Bonn is shown on the 4th century Peutinger Map . In late antiquity , much of the town seems to have been destroyed by marauding invaders. The remaining civilian population then took refuge inside
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#17328545864774004-452: The headquarters of the Deutsche Post called Post Tower (162.5 m or 533 ft) and the former building for the German members of parliament Langer Eugen (114.7 m or 376 ft) now the location of the UN Campus. Just as Bonn's other four major museums, the Haus der Geschichte or Museum of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany, is located on the so-called Museumsmeile ("Museum Mile") . The Haus der Geschichte
4081-435: 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. Situated in
4158-484: The last remnants 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 to accommodate a full-strength Imperial Legion and its auxiliaries. The fort covered an area of approximately 250,000 square metres (62 acres). Between its walls it contained a dense grid of streets and a multitude of buildings, ranging from spacious headquarters and large officers' quarters to barracks , stables and
4235-414: The mid-5th century. 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 into disuse. Eventually, much of the building materials seem to have been re-used in the construction of Bonn's 13th-century city wall . The Sterntor [ de ] ( star gate ) in the city center is a reconstruction using
4312-455: The most frequently performed piece of music during such a " Sitzung " is the " Narrhallamarsch ". The committee that organizes the events in each town consists of a president and 10 junior members and is called the "Council of Eleven" or Elferrat . The number eleven, elf in German, is significant in Carneval celebrations because it is an acronym for the French Revolution values of egalité, liberté, fraternité . The carnival spirit
4389-406: The name are Fasnacht , Fasnet , or Fasent . Fastnacht is held in Baden-Württemberg , parts of Bavaria , Alsace, German Switzerland, and Austrian Vorarlberg . The festival starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, known in these regions as Schmutziger Donnerstag , Schmotziger Donnerstag , Schmutzige-Dunschdig or Fettdonnerstag . In standard German, schmutzig means "dirty", but actually
4466-441: The name is from Alemannic dialects where schmotz means "lard" ( Schmalz ), or "fat". It continues in some parts with the Shrove Monday , though often differently called, e.g. Güdismontag (literally: Paunch Monday) in Lucerne , and the last day before Ash Wednesday on Fat Tuesday ( Mardi Gras ), in Lucerne known as Güdisdienstag (literally: Paunch Tuesday), often the most intense Fasnacht day. Also, in Germany, this used to be
4543-477: The newly formed Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. However, the Bundestag, seated in Bonn's Bundeshaus , affirmed Berlin 's status as the German capital. Bonn was chosen as the provisional capital and seat of government despite the fact that Frankfurt already had most of the required facilities and using Bonn was estimated to be 95 million DM more expensive than using Frankfurt. Bonn was chosen because Adenauer and other prominent politicians intended to make Berlin
4620-484: The northern sub-district of Graurheindorf, the inland harbour of Bonn is used for container traffic as well as oversea transport. The annual turnover amounts to around 500,000 t (490,000 long tons; 550,000 short tons). Regular passenger transport occurs to Cologne and Düsseldorf. The head offices of Deutsche Telekom , its subsidiary Telekom Deutschland , Deutsche Post , German Academic Exchange Service , and SolarWorld are in Bonn. The third largest employer in
4697-411: The predominantly Roman Catholic southern and western parts of the country, the Protestant north traditionally knows a festival under the Low Saxon names Fastelavend [ˈfastl̩ˌɒːvɱ̍t] , Fastelabend [ˈfastl̩ˌɒːbm̩t] and Fastlaam (also spelled Fastlom , IPA: [ˈfastl̩ɒːm] ). This name has been imported to Denmark as Fastelavn and is related to Vastenoavond in
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#17328545864774774-404: The primary seat of six federal government ministries and twenty federal authorities. The title of Federal City (German: Bundesstadt ) reflects its important political status within Germany. 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,
4851-443: The public media to be Germany's three carnival strongholds, but carnival celebrations are also widespread elsewhere in the Rhineland. In the Rhineland festivities developed especially strongly, since it was a way to express subversive anti- Prussian and anti-French thoughts in times of occupation, through parody and mockery. Modern carnival there began in 1823 with the founding of a Carnival Club in Cologne. Most cities and villages of
4928-402: The seat of government to move to Berlin, others advocated leaving it in Bonn – a situation roughly analogous to that of the Netherlands , where Amsterdam is the capital but The Hague is the seat of government. Berlin's previous history as united Germany's capital was strongly connected with the German Empire , the Weimar Republic and more ominously with both Nazi Germany and Prussia . It
5005-440: The south of the Cologne lowland in the Rhine valley, Bonn is in one of Germany's warmest regions. The Bonn weather station has recorded the following extreme values: The history of the city dates back to Roman times. In about 12 BC, the Roman army appears to have stationed a small unit in what is presently the historical centre of the city. Even earlier, the army had resettled members of a Germanic tribal group allied with Rome,
5082-411: The southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area with over 11 million inhabitants, Bonn lies within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia , on the border with Rhineland-Palatinate . Spanning an area of more 141.2 km (55 sq mi) on both sides of the river Rhine , almost three-quarters of the city lies on the river's left bank. To the south and to
5159-426: 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 city 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 ,
5236-420: The streets, even if temperatures are low, most of them dressed up in costumes. Many regions have special carnival cries (Cologne, Bonn and Aachen : Alaaf! ; Düsseldorf and Mainz: Helau! ). The carnival in the Netherlands is partially derived from the Rhenish carnival. The Swabian - Alemannic carnival is known as Fastnacht , where Fast(en)-Nacht means the eve of the Fastenzeit ( lent ). Variants of
5313-437: The vicinity of the Buschhoven is the route of the former Eifel water pipeline ( Eifel Aqueduct ), a Roman aqueduct built to supply Cologne with drinking water. The water castle in Morenhoven, the castle of Heimerzheim and the reconciliation church in Buschhoven with its reconditioned romance organ, are worth mentioning. Kottenforst-Ville Nature Park , a natural preserve. This Rhein-Sieg-Kreis location article
5390-530: The votes of the eastern German legislators tipped the balance in favour of Berlin. From 1990 to 1999, Bonn served as the seat of government of reunited Germany. In recognition of its former status as German capital, it holds the name of Federal City (German: Bundesstadt ). Bonn currently shares the status of Germany's seat of government with Berlin, with the President , the Chancellor and many government ministries (such as Food & Agriculture and Defence ) maintaining large presences in Bonn. Over 8,000 of
5467-426: The weekend before and especially on Rosenmontag , the day before Shrove Tuesday , and sometimes also on Shrove Tuesday ( Faschingsdienstag or Veilchendienstag ) itself in the suburbs of larger carnival cities. In German-speaking countries, there are essentially 2 distinct variations of Carnivals: the Rhenish Carnival in the west of Germany, centred on the cities of Cologne , Mainz and Düsseldorf , and
5544-621: The weekends. Bonn is part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg ( Rhine-Sieg Transport Association ) which is the public transport association covering the area of the Cologne/Bonn Region . Four Autobahns run through or are adjacent to Bonn: the A59 (right bank of the Rhine, connecting Bonn with Düsseldorf and Duisburg ), the A555 (left bank of the Rhine , connecting Bonn with Cologne),
5621-655: The west, Bonn borders the Eifel region which encompasses the Rhineland Nature Park . To the north, Bonn borders the Cologne Lowland . Natural borders are constituted by the river Sieg to the north-east and by the Siebengebirge (also known as the Seven Hills) to the east. The largest extension of the city in north–south dimensions is 15 km (9 mi) and 12.5 km (8 mi) in west–east dimensions. The city borders have
5698-564: Was elected Lord Mayor of Bonn in September 2020, she resigned as a member of parliament after her entry into office. Beethoven's birthplace is located in Bonngasse near the market place. Next to the market place is the Old City Hall, built in 1737 in Rococo style, under the rule of Clemens August of Bavaria . It is used for receptions of guests of the city, and as an office for the mayor. Nearby
5775-662: Was felt that a new peacefully united Germany should not be governed from a city connected to such overtones of war. Additionally, Bonn was closer to Brussels , headquarters of the European Economic Community . Former West German chancellor and mayor of West Berlin Willy Brandt caused considerable offence to the Western Allies during the debate by stating that France would not have kept the seat of government at Vichy after Liberation. The heated debate that resulted
5852-547: Was settled by the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) only on 20 June 1991. By a vote of 338–320, the Bundestag voted to move the seat of government to Berlin. The vote broke largely along regional lines, with legislators from the south and west favouring Bonn and legislators from the north and east voting for Berlin. It also broke along generational lines as well; older legislators with memories of Berlin's past glory favoured Berlin, while younger legislators favoured Bonn. Ultimately,
5929-495: Was subject to a major bombardment during the Siege of Bonn in 1689. Bonn was then returned to Cologne where it remained the capital at the Peace of Ryswick . The elector Clemens August (ruled 1723–1761) 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
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