Bonn

Overview

Bonn is a pretty university town in the West of Germany. Originally founded by the Romans as a depot for their Agrippan Legion (Castra Bonnensis) Bonn is somewhat older than nearby Cologne, which later became the capital of roman Germany. Like in Cologne, christianisation arrived early in the region, and it is not without logic that the archbishops of Cologne chose Bonn as their residence after falling out with the strong Farmer lobby (Battle of Worringen) in 1288. The residence, which was rebuilt a number of times during the Middle Ages today houses the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhem University, which counts some 24000 students. A major portion of the student body can usually be found in the famous Hofgarten park, a nice soft patch of lawn ideally suited for napping, ball-games and learning.

Bonn also was a custom station on the Rhine river, and the wealth of its citizens is reflected in the many historical buildings throughout the town. Having been largely destroyed during the war, Bonn was chosen to be the temporary Capital of German. It was the capital of West Germany before the fall of the wall.

Bonn itself always was a rather small town but by acquiring a number of villages along the Rhine it grew into a town of more than 250000 inhabitants and still retained a somewhat laid back village-like atmosphere.

A number of very interesting museums  can be found in Bonn, including the Rheinische Landesmuseum (displaying the famous 'NEANDERTHALER' head), the Museum Koenig with its vast collection of stuffed animals, the...more

History