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{{Short description|City in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany}}
{{about|the city in Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox German place
| type               = [[Federal city]]
| name               = Bonn
| German_name        = 
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
 |total_width        = 280
 |border             = infobox
 |perrow             = 1/2/2/1
 |caption_align      = center
 |image1             = General view over bonn (cropped).jpg
 |alt1               = Bonn skyline
 |caption1           = Bonn skyline
 |image2             = Altes Rathaus Bonn.jpg
 |alt2               = Altes Rathaus (Bonn)
 |caption2           = [[Altes Rathaus (Bonn)|Town Hall]]
 |image3             = Beethoven-Haus.jpg
 |alt3               = Beethoven House
 |caption3           = [[Beethoven House]]
 |image4             = Bonner Münster 2010-07-07.jpg
 |alt4               = Bonn Minster
 |caption4           = [[Bonn Minster]]
 |image5             = Posttower Bonn 001.jpg|220px
 |alt5               = Post Tower
 |caption5           = [[Post Tower]]
 |image6             = Universität Bonn.jpg|mini
 |alt6               = Electoral Palace, Bonn
 |caption6           = [[Electoral Palace, Bonn|Electoral Palace]]
 }}
| image_flag         = Flagge der kreisfreien Stadt Bonn.svg
| image_plan         = North rhine w BN.svg
| plantext           = Bonn within North Rhine-Westphalia
| coordinates        = {{Wikidatacoord|Q586|type:city_region:DE-NW|display=inline,title}}
| image_coa=DEU Bonn COA.svg
| state              = Nordrhein-Westfalen
| region             = Cologne
| district           = [[Districts in Germany|Urban district]]
| elevation          = 60
| area               = 141.06
| Gemeindeschlüssel  = 05314000
| postal_code        = 53111–53229
| area_code          = 0228
| licence            = BN
| mayor              = [[Katja Dörner]]<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517032138/https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr |date=17 May 2022 }}, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.</ref>
| leader_term        = 2020&ndash;25
 |Bürgermeistertitel = Lord Mayor
| party              = Greens
| ruling_party1      = Greens
| ruling_party2      = SPD
| ruling_party3      = Left
| ruling_party4      = Volt
| year               = 1st century BC
| website            = {{URL|https://bonn.de}}
}}
'''Bonn''' ({{IPA|de|bɔn|-|De-Bonn.ogg}}) 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 {{cvt|24|km|0}} south-southeast of [[Cologne]], in the southernmost part of the [[Rhine-Ruhr]] region. This metropolitan area, Germany's largest, is also the [[List of EU metropolitan regions by GDP#2021 ranking of top 4 German metropolitan regions|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 [[German reunification|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 for the Federal Republic of Germany|Basic Law]].

Founded in the 1st century BC as a settlement of the [[Ubii]] and later part of the [[Roman Empire|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 [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne|Cologne]]. The period during which Bonn was the capital of West Germany is often referred to by historians as the ''[[Bonn Republic]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Bonn Republic: West German Democracy, 1945–1990 |author=Anthony James Nicholls |publisher=[[Longman]] |year=1997 |isbn=9780582492318 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSvYAAAAIAAJ |via=[[Google Books]] }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/bonn-berlin-gesetz-101.html |title=Bonn-Berlin-Gesetz: Dieselbe Prozedur wie jedes Jahr |last=tagesschau.de |website=tagesschau.de |language=de |access-date=26 April 2019 }}</ref> Bonn is considered an unofficial secondary capital of Germany and is the location of the secondary seats of the [[President of Germany|president]], the [[Chancellor of Germany|chancellor]], and the [[Bundesrat of Germany|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 ({{langx|de|link=no|Bundesstadt}}) underscores its political importance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2008/0912/bau_kunst/debatte/bd_antr2.html |title=Deutscher Bundestag: Berlin-Debatte / Antrag Vollendung der Einheit Deutschlands, Drucksache 12/815 |last=Bundestag |first=Deutscher |website=webarchiv.bundestag.de |language=de |access-date=19 February 2017 |archive-date=21 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121233544/http://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2008/0912/bau_kunst/debatte/bd_antr2.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/internationale-organisationen/uno/03-uno-in-deutschland/-/205650 |title=Übersicht: Die Vereinten Nationen (VN) in Deutschland |last=Amt |first=Auswärtiges |website=Auswärtiges Amt |language=de |access-date=6 February 2020 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unbonn.org/organizations |title=UNBonn.org |date=2 December 2024 |access-date=1 December 2017 |archive-date=5 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205013238/http://www.unbonn.org/organizations |url-status=live }}</ref> Birthplace of composer [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], a center of [[Rhenish Carnival|Rhenish carnival]], and its geography by the [[Middle Rhine]] make it an important tourist destination.

==Geography==
{{wide image|General view over bonn.jpg|900px|View over central Bonn as seen from the Stadthaus, including the [[Siebengebirge]], a hill range on the east bank of the [[Middle Rhine]]|5=center}}
===Topography===
Situated in the southernmost part of the [[Rhine-Ruhr]] region, Germany's largest metropolitan area with over 11 million inhabitants, Bonn lies within the [[States of Germany|German state]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], on the border with [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. Spanning an area of more {{cvt|141.2|km2|0}} 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 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 (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 {{cvt|15|km|0}} and {{cvt|12.5|km|0}} in west–east dimensions. The city borders have a total length of {{cvt|61|km|0}}. The geographical centre of Bonn is the Bundeskanzlerplatz ''(Chancellor Square)'' in Bonn-Gronau.

=== Administration ===
The [[States of Germany|German state]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] is divided into five [[Regierungsbezirk|governmental districts]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Regierungsbezirk}}), and Bonn is part of the [[Regierungsbezirk Köln|governmental district of Cologne]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Regierungsbezirk Köln}}). Within this governmental district, the city of Bonn is an [[List of districts of Germany|urban district]] in its own right. The urban district of Bonn is then again divided into four administrative municipal districts ({{langx|de|link=no|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.
{| class="wikitable zebra"
|+Administrative divisions of the Federal City of Bonn<!--Please do not add any sub-districts, as this is the official count.-->
!Municipal district ({{lang|de|Stadtbezirk}})
!Coat of arms
!Population <small>({{As of|2014|Dec|lc=y}})</small><ref>{{cite web |title=Wohnberechtigte Bevölkerung in der Stadt Bonn am 31.12.2014 |language=de |periodical=Bonn.de |publisher=Stadt Bonn |url=http://www2.bonn.de/statistik/default.asp?2.1 |access-date=2 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227103913/http://www2.bonn.de/statistik/default.asp?2.1 |archive-date=27 February 2014 }}</ref>
!Sub-district ({{lang|de|Stadtteil}})
|-
|[[Bad Godesberg]]
| align="center" |[[File:Wappen-bezirk-badgodesberg.svg|35px|Wappen des Stadtbezirks Bad Godesberg]]
| align="right" |73,172
|Alt-Godesberg, [[Friesdorf (Bonn)|Friesdorf]], Godesberg-Nord, Godesberg-Villenviertel, Heiderhof, Hochkreuz, Lannesdorf, Mehlem, Muffendorf, Pennenfeld, Plittersdorf, Rüngsdorf, Schweinheim
|-
|[[Beuel]]
| align="center" |[[File:Wappen-bezirk-beuel.svg|35px|Wappen des Stadtbezirks Beuel]]
| align="right" |66,695
|Beuel-Mitte, Beuel-Ost, Geislar, Hoholz, Holtorf, [[Holzlar]], [[Küdinghoven]], Limperich, [[Oberkassel (Bonn)|Oberkassel]], Pützchen/Bechlinghoven, Ramersdorf, [[Schwarzrheindorf/Vilich-Rheindorf]], Vilich, Vilich-Müldorf
|-
|[[Bonn (municipal district)|Bonn]]
| align="center" |[[File:Bonn1969.svg|35px|Wappen des Stadtbezirks Bonn]]
| align="right" |149,733
|Auerberg, Bonn-Castell (known until 2003 as Bonn-Nord), Bonn-Zentrum, Buschdorf, Dottendorf, Dransdorf, [[Endenich]], Graurheindorf, Gronau, Ippendorf, [[Kessenich (Bonn)|Kessenich]], Lessenich/Meßdorf, Nordstadt, Poppelsdorf, Röttgen, Südstadt, [[Tannenbusch]], Ückesdorf, Venusberg, Weststadt
|-
|[[Hardtberg]]
| align="center" |[[File:Wappen-bezirk-hardtberg.svg|35px|Wappen des Stadtbezirks Hardtberg]]
| align="right" |33,360
|Brüser Berg, Duisdorf, [[Hardthöhe]], Lengsdorf
|}

=== Climate ===
{{see also|Rhine-Ruhr#Climate}}

Bonn has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dobk'').<ref name=sklima/> In 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:<ref name=sklima/>
* Its highest temperature was {{cvt|40.9|C|F}} on [[2019 European heatwaves#Germany|25 July 2019]].
* Its lowest temperature was {{cvt|-23.0|C|F}} on 27 January 1942.
* Its greatest annual precipitation was {{cvt|956.7|mm|in}} in 2007.
* Its least annual precipitation was {{cvt|381.5|mm|in}} in 1959.
* The longest annual sunshine was 2013.9 hours in 2018.
* The shortest annual sunshine was 1240.7 hours in 1981.
{{Weather box
|location = Bonn (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1933–present{{efn|The data from 1933 to 1999 comes from the Bonn-Friesdorf weather station, and the data from 2000 to date comes from the Bonn-Roleber weather station.}})
|metric first = Yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 16.1
|Feb record high C = 20.7
|Mar record high C = 25.7
|Apr record high C = 30.7
|May record high C = 32.9
|Jun record high C = 37.9
|Jul record high C = 40.9
|Aug record high C = 37.4
|Sep record high C = 34.6
|Oct record high C = 27.5
|Nov record high C = 21.0
|Dec record high C = 17.5
|year record high C = 40.9
|Jan avg record high C = 12.7
|Feb avg record high C = 13.6
|Mar avg record high C = 19.0
|Apr avg record high C = 24.3
|May avg record high C = 27.5
|Jun avg record high C = 31.5
|Jul avg record high C = 32.9
|Aug avg record high C = 32.3
|Sep avg record high C = 27.4
|Oct avg record high C = 22.2
|Nov avg record high C = 16.4
|Dec avg record high C = 12.8
|year avg record high C = 34.9
|Jan high C = 5.6
|Feb high C = 6.7
|Mar high C = 10.7
|Apr high C = 15.8
|May high C = 19.3
|Jun high C = 22.5
|Jul high C = 24.1
|Aug high C = 23.9
|Sep high C = 20.0
|Oct high C = 15.0
|Nov high C = 9.7
|Dec high C = 6.4
|year high C = 15.0
|Jan mean C = 3.1
|Feb mean C = 3.5
|Mar mean C = 6.4
|Apr mean C = 10.6
|May mean C = 14.1
|Jun mean C = 17.2
|Jul mean C = 18.8
|Aug mean C = 18.5
|Sep mean C = 14.9
|Oct mean C = 11.0
|Nov mean C = 6.8
|Dec mean C = 4.0
|year mean C = 10.7
|Jan low C = 0.4
|Feb low C = 0.4
|Mar low C = 2.3
|Apr low C = 5.3
|May low C = 8.7
|Jun low C = 11.8
|Jul low C = 13.6
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 10.3
|Oct low C = 7.3
|Nov low C = 3.9
|Dec low C = 1.5
|year low C = 6.6
|Jan avg record low C = -7.5
|Feb avg record low C = -6.5
|Mar avg record low C = -4.3
|Apr avg record low C = -1.4
|May avg record low C = 2.1
|Jun avg record low C = 6.7
|Jul avg record low C = 8.8
|Aug avg record low C = 8.4
|Sep avg record low C = 4.8
|Oct avg record low C = 0.7
|Nov avg record low C = -2.5
|Dec avg record low C = -6.5
|year avg record low C = -9.4
|Jan record low C = -23.0
|Feb record low C = -20.2
|Mar record low C = -11.9
|Apr record low C = -5.3
|May record low C = -3.0
|Jun record low C = 1.8
|Jul record low C = 5.6
|Aug record low C = 4.0
|Sep record low C = -0.5
|Oct record low C = -5.7
|Nov record low C = -9.0
|Dec record low C = -18.3
|year record low C = -23.0
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 60.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 48.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 51.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 43.5
|May precipitation mm = 70.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 81.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 83.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 87.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 62.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 60.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 60.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 57.6
|year precipitation mm = 767.1
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 17.5
|Feb precipitation days = 15.6
|Mar precipitation days = 14.7
|Apr precipitation days = 12.0
|May precipitation days = 14.1
|Jun precipitation days = 14.1
|Jul precipitation days = 15.8
|Aug precipitation days = 15.8
|Sep precipitation days = 13.6
|Oct precipitation days = 15.3
|Nov precipitation days = 16.9
|Dec precipitation days = 18.6
|year precipitation days = 183.8
|Jan snow depth cm = 4.3
|Feb snow depth cm = 2.8
|Mar snow depth cm = 2.5
|Apr snow depth cm = 0
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0
|Nov snow depth cm = 0.5
|Dec snow depth cm = 2.4
|year snow depth cm = 6.6
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 84.0
|Feb humidity = 80.0
|Mar humidity = 74.1
|Apr humidity = 68.5
|May humidity = 71.2
|Jun humidity = 72.5
|Jul humidity = 71.9
|Aug humidity = 74.3
|Sep humidity = 78.6
|Oct humidity = 83.3
|Nov humidity = 85.7
|Dec humidity = 85.7
|year humidity = 77.5
|Jan sun = 57.4
|Feb sun = 80.4
|Mar sun = 132.9
|Apr sun = 177.5
|May sun = 201.6
|Jun sun = 208.3
|Jul sun = 205.6
|Aug sun = 197.4
|Sep sun = 158.6
|Oct sun = 103.1
|Nov sun = 59.3
|Dec sun = 49.1
|year sun = 1631.2
|source 1= [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] / SKlima.de<ref name=sklima>{{cite web |url=http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2 |title=Monatsauswertung |website=sklima.de |publisher=SKlima |language=de |access-date=13 October 2024 |archive-date=7 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607181253/http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

== History ==
{{for timeline|Timeline of Bonn}}

===Founding and Roman period===
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2008}}
[[File:2008-12-25 Bonn Sterntor.jpg|left|thumb|The {{ill|Sterntor (Bonn)|de|Sterntor (Bonn)|lt=Sterntor}}, originally built {{Circa|1244|lk=no}}, is a gate reconstructed on the remnants of the medieval city wall.]]
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, 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 [[Eburones|Eburoni]]. Bona is [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] for tribe.<ref>Xavier Delamarre, ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'', Errance 2003. S. 82.</ref> The Eburoni were members of a large tribal coalition effectively wiped out during the final phase of [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]]'s [[Gallic Wars|War in Gaul]]. After several decades, the army gave up the small camp linked to the Ubii-settlement. During the 1st century [[Anno Domini|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 the mid-5th century. The structures themselves remained standing well into the [[Middle Ages]], when they were called the Bonnburg. They were used by [[Kingdom of the Franks|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 [[Defensive wall|city wall]]. The {{ill|Sterntor (Bonn)|de|Sterntor|lt=Sterntor}} (''star gate'') in the city center is a reconstruction using 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 history|ancient world]], i.e. a fort built to accommodate a full-strength [[Roman legion|Imperial Legion]] and its auxiliaries. The fort covered an area of approximately {{convert|250000|m2|acre}}. 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]], [[stable]]s and a [[Military prison|military jail]]. Among the legions stationed in Bonn, the "1st", i.e. the [[Legio I Minervia|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]].
[[File:Altes Rathaus Bonn.jpg|thumb|The ''Altes Rathaus'' (old town hall) as seen from the central market square. It was built in 1737 in the [[Rococo]] style.]]

The chief [[Roman roads|Roman road]] linking the provincial capitals of Cologne and [[Mainz]] cut right through the fort where it joined 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 [[Tabula Peutingeriana|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 the fort along with the remnants of the troops stationed here. During the final decades of Imperial rule, the troops were supplied by [[Franks|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 the [[Bonn Minster|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.

=== Middle ages and early modern period ===
[[File:University bonn at night.jpg|thumb|Founded in 1818, the [[University of Bonn]] counts [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]], [[Karl Marx|Marx]], and [[Konrad Adenauer|Adenauer]] among its alumni.]]
Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] style Bonn Minster was built, and in 1597 Bonn became the seat of the [[Diocese|Archdiocese]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne|Cologne]]. The city gained more influence and grew considerably. The city was subject to a major bombardment during the [[Siege of Bonn (1689)|Siege of Bonn]] in 1689. Bonn was then returned to Cologne where it remained the capital at the [[Treaty of Ryswick|Peace of Ryswick]]. The [[Electorate of Cologne|elector]] [[Clemens August of Bavaria|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 [[Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria|Max Franz]] (ruled 1784–1794), who founded the university and 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]], 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.

===20th century and the "Bonn Republic"===
{{See also|Berlin-Bonn Act|Decision on the Capital of Germany}}

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 the US [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] captured the city during the battle of 8–9 March 1945.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stanton |first=Shelby L. |title=World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946 |edition=Revised |year=2006 |publisher=[[Stackpole Books]] |page=76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfDfAQAACAAJ |isbn=9780811701570 }}</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F013859-0009, Bonn, Staatsbesuch Präsident Charles de Gaulle.jpg|left|thumb|French president [[Charles de Gaulle]] on a state visit to Bonn in 1962]]

[[Aftermath of World War II|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 and [[seat of government]], officially designated the "temporary seat of the Federal institutions" of the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. However, the Bundestag, seated in Bonn's [[Bundeshaus (Bonn)|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 am Main|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 West German politicians intended to make Berlin the capital of a reunified Germany, and they felt that locating the provisional capital in a major city like Frankfurt or [[Hamburg]] would imply a <i>permanent</i> capital and plausibly weaken support in West Germany for a future reunification.

In 1949, the [[Parlamentarischer Rat|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 [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellors]] and six [[President of Germany|Presidents]] of 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.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Schleichende Wende. Diskurse von Nation und Erinnerung bei der Konstituierung der Berliner Republik |last=Caborn |first=Joannah |language=de |publisher={{ill|Unrast Verlag|de}} |year=2006 |isbn=9783897717398 |pages=12 |via=[[Google Books]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjNoAAAAMAAJ }}</ref>

===After national reunification===
[[File:Villa Hammerschmidt Bonn Seite Adenauerallee 20080831.jpg|left|thumb|Between 1950 and 1994, [[Hammerschmidt Villa|Villa Hammerschmidt]] was the primary official residence of the [[President of Germany]]. Today it serves as the President's secondary residence.]]
[[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 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 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 France|Vichy]] after Liberation.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o36GDAAAQBAJ&q=Willy+Brandt++France+Vichy+capital&pg=PA149 |title=Willy Brandt: a Political Biography |author=Barbara Marshall |date=18 December 1996 |publisher=Springer |page=149 |isbn=9780230390096 }}</ref>

The heated debate that [[Decision on the Capital of Germany|resulted]] was settled by the ''[[Bundestag]]'' (Germany's parliament) only on 20 June 1991. By a vote of 338–320,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20110615/35655 |title=Bonn to Berlin move still controversial |work=[[The Local]]|date=15 June 2011 |access-date=1 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=27 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527124908/https://www.thelocal.de/20110615/35655 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hauptstadtbeschluss: 20 Jahre Pro-Berlin |trans-title=Capital-City Decision: 20 Years of Pro-Berlin |url=http://aktuell.nationalatlas.de/Hauptstadtbeschluss.6_06-2011.0.html |website=nationalatlas.de |first=Sebastian |last=Lentz |date=17 June 2011 |access-date=20 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331093254/http://aktuell.nationalatlas.de/Hauptstadtbeschluss.6_06-2011.0.html |archive-date=31 March 2013 |url-status=live |lang=de }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Laux |first=Hans-Dieter |title=Berlin oder Bonn? Geographische Aspekte einer Parlamentsentscheidung |trans-title=Berlin or Bonn? Geographical Aspects of a Parliamentary Decision |journal=Geographische Rundschau |volume=43 |issue=12 |pages=740–743 |year=1991 |language=de }}</ref> 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, the votes of the [[New states of Germany#Culture|eastern German]] legislators tipped the balance in favour of Berlin.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Wayne C. |year=2008 |title=The World Today Series: Nordic, Central and Southeastern Europe 2008 |publisher=Stryker-Post Publications |location=Harpers Ferry, West Virginia |isbn=978-1-887985-95-6 }}</ref>

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 ({{langx|de|link=no|Bundesstadt}}). Bonn currently shares the status of Germany's seat of government with Berlin, with the [[President of Germany|President]], the [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] and many government ministries (such as [[Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Germany)|Food & Agriculture]] and [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Defence]]) maintaining large presences in Bonn. Over 8,000 of the 18,000 federal officials remain in Bonn.<ref name="Cowell">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/world/europe/24berlin.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/world/europe/24berlin.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited |title=In Germany's Capitals, Cold War Memories and Imperial Ghosts |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Alan |last=Cowell |date=23 June 2011}}{{cbignore }}</ref> A total of 19 United Nations (UN) institutions operate from Bonn today.

==Politics and government==
[[File:Ashok Alexander Sridharan, Oberbürgermeister Bonn.jpg|thumb|[[Ashok-Alexander Sridharan]] ([[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]) was the mayor of Bonn from 2015 until 2020.]]

=== Mayor ===
[[File:2020 Bonn mayoral election (2nd round).svg|thumb|350px|Results of the second round of the 2020 mayoral election]]
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:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Ashok-Alexander Sridharan]]
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| '''48,454'''
| '''34.5'''
| 52,762
| 43.7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Katja Dörner]]
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]
| 38,793
| 27.6
| '''67,880'''
| '''56.3'''
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Lissi von Bülow
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 28,389
| 20.2
|-
| 
| align=left| Christoph Artur Manka
| align=left| Citizens' League Bonn
| 8,694
| 6.2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Michael Faber
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 7,032
| 5.0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Werner Hümmrich
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 4,853
| 3.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| 
| align=left| Frank Rudolf Christian Findeiß
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]]
| 2,873
| 2.0
|-
| 
| align=left| Kaisa Ilunga
| align=left| Alliance for Innovation and Justice
| 1,507
| 1.1
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 140,595
! 99.1
! 120,642
! 99.5
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 1,219
! 0.9
! 627
! 0.5
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 141,814
! 100.0
! 121,269
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 249,091
! 56.9
! 249,098
! 48.7
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/b314000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

=== City council ===
[[File:2020 Bonn City Council election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2020 city council election]]
The Bonn city council governs the city alongside the mayor. It used to be based in the [[Rococo]]-style ''{{lang|de|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 the ''{{lang|de|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:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 39,311
| 27.9
| {{increase}} 9.2
| 19
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 36,315
| 25.7
| {{decrease}} 4.7
| 17
| {{decrease}} 10
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 21,956
| 15.6
| {{decrease}} 7.9
| 11
| {{decrease}} 9
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens' League Bonn (BBB)
| 9,948
| 7.1
| {{increase}} 2.0
| 5
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 8,745
| 6.2
| {{steady}} 0.0
| 4
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 7,268
| 5.2
| {{decrease}} 3.0
| 3
| {{decrease}} 4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Europa}}| 
| align=left| [[Volt Europa#Germany|Volt Germany]] (Volt)
| 7,148
| 5.1
| New
| 3
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 4,569
| 3.2
| {{increase}} 0.4
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| 
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] (PARTEI)
| 3,095
| 2.2
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Alliance for Innovation and Justice (BIG)
| 1,775
| 1.3
| {{decrease}} 0.2
| 1
| ±0
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey| 
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Pirate Party Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Pirate Party Germany]] (Piraten)
| 869
| 0.6
| {{decrease}} 1.6
| 0
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Independents
| 101
| 0.1
| –
| 0
| –
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 141,100
! 99.3
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 1,052
! 0.7
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 142,152
! 100.0
! 
! 66
! {{decrease}} 20
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 249,091
! 57.1
! {{increase}} 0.3
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/a314000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

=== State government ===
Four delegates represent the Federal city of Bonn in the [[Landtag]] of [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia|North Rhine-Westphalia]]. The last election took place in May 2022. The current delegates are Guido Déus ([[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]), Christos Katzidis (CDU), Joachim Stamp ([[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]), Tim Achtermeyer (Greens) and Dr. Julia Höller (Greens)

=== Federal government ===
Bonn's [[Electoral district|constituency]] is called ''{{lang|de|Bundeswahlkreis Bonn}}'' (096). In the [[German federal election, 2017|German federal election 2017]], [[Ulrich Kelber]] ([[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]) was elected a member of [[Bundestag|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 [[Free Democratic Party of Germany|FDP]] were elected as well. Kelber resigned in 2019 because he was appointed [[Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information]]. As Dörner was elected Lord Mayor of Bonn in September 2020, she resigned as a member of parliament after her entry into office.

== Culture ==
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 is the ''[[Electoral Palace, Bonn|Kurfürstliches Schloss]]'', built as a residence for the prince-elector and now the main building of the [[University of Bonn]]. 
[[File:Bonner Münster.jpg|thumb|Erected in the 11th and 13th century, the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Bonn Minster|Minster of Bonn]] is one of Germany's oldest churches.]]
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 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 (Bonn)|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 [[Westdeutscher Rundfunk|WDR]] [[Radio masts and towers|radio mast]] in Bonn-Venusberg ({{cvt|180|m|ft|disp=or}}), the headquarters of the [[Deutsche Post]] called ''[[Post Tower]]'' ({{cvt|162.5|m|ft|disp=or}}) and the former building for the German members of parliament ''[[Langer Eugen]]'' ({{cvt|114.7|m|ft|disp=or}}) now the location of the UN Campus.

===Churches===
* [[Bonn Minster]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonner-muenster.de/basilika/index_engl.htm |title=Das Bonner Münster @ Kirche in der City |publisher=Bonner-muenster.de |access-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215133139/http://bonner-muenster.de/basilika/index_engl.htm |archive-date=15 February 2009 }}</ref>
* [[Doppelkirche Schwarzrheindorf]] built in 1151
* [[Alter Friedhof, Bonn|Old Cemetery Bonn]] (''Alter Friedhof''), one of the best known cemeteries in Germany
* {{ill|Kreuzbergkirche|de}}, built in 1627 with [[Johann Balthasar Neumann]]'s ''Heilige Stiege'', it is a stairway for Christian pilgrims
* [[St. Remigius, Bonn|St. Remigius]], where Beethoven was baptized

===Castles and residences===
* [[Godesburg]] fortress ruins<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonn-region.de/ns/articleview_en.php?folderID=10204&sub_folderID=10215&articleID=623 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050525113041/http://www.bonn-region.de/ns/articleview_en.php?folderID=10204&sub_folderID=10215&articleID=623 |archive-date=25 May 2005 |title=Bonn Region – Sightseeing – Fortresses and castles – Godesburg mit Michaelskapelle (Fortress Godesburg with St. Michael Chapel) |date=25 May 2005 |access-date=25 July 2009 }}</ref>
* The Röttgen suburb was once home to [[Schloss Herzogsfreude]], now lost, but once a hunting lodge of elector Clemens August.

===Modern buildings===
[[File:Beethovenhalle, Bonn, interior 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Beethovenhalle]]]]
* [[Beethovenhalle]]
* Bundesviertel (federal quarter) with many government structures including
** [[Post Tower]], the tallest building in the state [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], housing the headquarters of [[Deutsche Post]]/[[DHL Express|DHL]]
** Maritim Bonn, five-star hotel and convention centre
** [[Schürmann-Bau]], headquarters of [[Deutsche Welle]]
** Langer Eugen, since 2006 the centre of the United Nations Campus, formerly housing the offices of the members of the German parliament
* [[Deutsche Telekom]] headquarters
* [[Telekom Deutschland]] headquarters
* Kameha Grand, five-star hotel

===Museums===
[[File:Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Bundeskunsthalle-9245.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland|Bundeskunsthalle]] focuses on the cultural heritage outside of Germany or Europe, at the crossroads of culture, the arts, and science.]]
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 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hdg.de/index.php?id=1&L=1 |title=Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Home |date=13 June 2008 |publisher=Hdg.de |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=5 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205155907/http://www.hdg.de/index.php?id=1&L=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The ''[[Kunstmuseum Bonn]]'' or Bonn Museum of Modern Art 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kunstmuseum.bonn.de/start_e.htm |title=Kunstmuseum Bonn – Overview |publisher=Kunstmuseum.bonn.de |date=n.d. |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=7 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307021414/http://kunstmuseum.bonn.de/start_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 is also on display in the [[August-Macke-Haus]], located in Macke's former home where he lived from 1911 to 1914.
[[File:2014-06-12 Museum Koenig, Bonn IMG 5509.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The [[Museum Koenig]] is Bonn's [[natural history]] museum.]] 
The [[Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland|''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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.museumsmeilebonn.de/portfolio/bundeskunsthalle/ |title=MUSEUMSMEILE BONN |website=museumsmeilebonn.de |language=de-DE |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204004547/http://www.museumsmeilebonn.de/portfolio/bundeskunsthalle/ |url-status=live }}</ref> One of its main objectives is to show the [[cultural heritage]] outside of Germany or Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kah-bonn.de/index_e.htm |title=Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany – Bonn – English Version |publisher=Kah-bonn.de |access-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509062736/http://www.kah-bonn.de/index_e.htm |archive-date=9 May 2009 }}</ref> 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 [[Zoology|zoological]] research institution housing the ''Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere''. Politically interesting, it is on the premises of the Museum Koenig where the [[Parlamentarischer Rat]] first met.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wegderdemokratie.de/en/museum-koenig |title=Museum Koenig |date= |access-date=10 October 2023 |website=wegderdemokratie.de |publisher=Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.museumsmeilebonn.de/portfolio/deutsches-museum-bonn/ |title=MUSEUMSMEILE BONN |website=museumsmeilebonn.de |language=de-DE |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204004549/http://www.museumsmeilebonn.de/portfolio/deutsches-museum-bonn/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other museums include the [[Beethoven House]], birthplace of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Fraunhofer-Institut für Medienkommunikation IMK |url=http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/detail.php//portal_en |title=Beethoven digitally |publisher=Beethoven-haus-bonn.de |date=26 March 2002 |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=12 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412091048/http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/detail.php//portal_en |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn]] (Rhinish Regional Museum Bonn), the [[Bonn Women's Museum]], the [[Rheinisches Malermuseum]] and the [[Arithmeum]].

===Nature===
[[File:Siebengebirge schloss drachenburg ds wv 09 2008.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Schloss Drachenburg|Drachenburg Castle]] in the [[Siebengebirge]] south of Bonn]]
There are several parks, leisure and protected areas in and around Bonn. The ''{{ill|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 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 ''[[Botanical Garden, Bonn|Botanischer Garten]]'' (Botanical Garden) is affiliated with the university. The natural reserve of ''[[Kottenforst]]'' is a large area of protected woods on the hills west of the city centre. It is about {{convert|40|km2|sqmi|abbr=off}} in area and part of the [[Rhineland Nature Park]] ({{cvt|1045|km2|sqmi|disp=or}}).

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 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 am Rhein|Bingen]] to [[Koblenz]] is a [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] with more than 40 castles and fortresses from the [[Middle Ages]] and important German vineyards.

== Transportation ==
=== Air traffic ===
[[File:Koeln-Bonn-Airport11.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|The [[Cologne Bonn Airport|international airport of Cologne and Bonn]] ([[International Air Transport Association airport code|IATA]]: CGN) is Germany's [[List of the busiest airports in Germany|seventh-largest]].]]
Named after [[Konrad Adenauer]], the first post-war Chancellor of West Germany, [[Cologne Bonn Airport]] is situated {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=off}} north-east from the city centre of Bonn. With around 10.3&nbsp;million passengers passing through it in 2015, it is the [[List of the busiest airports in Germany|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adv.aero/fileadmin/pdf/statistiken/2015/11.2015_ADV-Monatsstatistik.pdf |title=ADV Monthly Traffic Report |access-date=6 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204205/http://www.adv.aero/fileadmin/pdf/statistiken/2015/11.2015_ADV-Monatsstatistik.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> As of March 2015, Cologne Bonn Airport had services to 115 passenger destinations in 35 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airliners.de/sommerflugplan-2015-sieben-ziele-flughafen-koeln-bonn/35295 |title=Sommerflugplan 2015: Sieben neue Ziele ab Flughafen Köln/Bonn |work=airliners.de |access-date=4 June 2015 |archive-date=31 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531065013/http://www.airliners.de/sommerflugplan-2015-sieben-ziele-flughafen-koeln-bonn/35295 |url-status=live }}</ref> The airport 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'') [[Bundesautobahn 59|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 Airport|Düsseldorf International Airport]].

=== Rail and bus system ===
[[File:2008-07-28 U-Bahnhof Hauptbahnhof (Bonn).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|The underground [[Bonn Stadtbahn|Stadtbahn]] station at [[Bonn Hauptbahnhof]], Bonn's busiest railway station]]
Bonn's central railway station, [[Bonn Hauptbahnhof]] 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 ([[Cologne S-Bahn|S-Bahn]] and [[Regionalbahn]]) and long-distance ([[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|IC]] and [[Intercity-Express|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.<ref name="general041116">{{cite news |url=http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/bonn/stadt-bonn/Sanierung-geht-in-die-heiße-Phase-article3397749.html |title=Sanierung geht in die heiße Phase |work=[[General-Anzeiger (Bonn)|General-Anzeiger]] |date=4 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105205334/http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/bonn/stadt-bonn/Sanierung-geht-in-die-hei%C3%9Fe-Phase-article3397749.html |archive-date=5 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ga.de">{{cite web |url=https://ga.de/bonn/stadt-bonn/der-hauptbahnhof-bonn-wird-saniert_aid-43091427 |work=[[General-Anzeiger (Bonn)|General-Anzeiger]] |date=12 May 2017 |title=Der Hauptbahnhof Bonn wird saniert |trans-title=Bonn Central Station is being renovated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201160203/https://ga.de/bonn/stadt-bonn/der-hauptbahnhof-bonn-wird-saniert_aid-43091427 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |language=de |author=Bettina Köhl }}</ref><ref name="db041116">{{cite web |url=http://www.deutschebahn.com/presse/duesseldorf/de/aktuell/presseinformationen/12647934/161107_schoene_aussichten.html |title=Schöne Aussichten im Hauptbahnhof Bonn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106105046/http://www.deutschebahn.com/presse/duesseldorf/de/aktuell/presseinformationen/12647934/161107_schoene_aussichten.html |archive-date=6 November 2016 |website=Deutsche Bahn |date=4 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another long-distance station, ([[Siegburg/Bonn station|Siegburg/Bonn]]), is located in the nearby town of [[Siegburg]] and serves as Bonn's station on the [[Köln–Frankfurt high-speed rail line|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 the Rhine ([[Beuel]] and [[Oberkassel, Bonn|Oberkassel]]), as well as many nearby towns like [[Brühl (Rhineland)|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 [[Trams in Bonn|Bonn tram]] system consists of two lines that connect closer quarters in the south, north and east of Bonn to the Central Station. While 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 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]].

=== Road network ===
[[File:Region Bonn motorways.png|left|thumb|upright=0.6|Road network adjacent to Bonn]]
Four [[Autobahn]]s run through or are adjacent to Bonn: the [[Bundesautobahn 59|A59]] (right bank of the Rhine, connecting Bonn with [[Düsseldorf]] and [[Duisburg]]), the [[Bundesautobahn 555|A555]] (left bank of the [[Rhine]], connecting Bonn with Cologne), the [[Bundesautobahn 562|A562]] (connecting the right with the left bank of the Rhine south of Bonn), and the [[Bundesautobahn 565|A565]] (connecting the A59 and the A555 with the [[Bundesautobahn 61|A61]] to the southwest). Three Bundesstraßen, which have a general {{convert|100|km/h|abbr=off}} [[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 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.

=== Port ===
Located in the northern sub-district of Graurheindorf, the [[Inland harbor|inland harbour]] of Bonn is used for container traffic as well as oversea transport. The annual turnover amounts to around {{cvt|500000|t}}. Regular passenger transport occurs to Cologne and Düsseldorf.

==Economy==
{{Expand section|date=January 2017}}
[[File:Bonn - Posttower.jpg|thumb|Being one of the biggest employers in the region, [[Deutsche Post DHL]] have their headquarters in Bonn.]]
The head offices of [[Deutsche Telekom]], its subsidiary [[Telekom Deutschland]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/en/255634;jsessionid=4D01506824470D931FFD9BB00F37BDCA |title=Deutsche Telekom facts and figures |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716204932/http://www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/en/255634%3Bjsessionid%3D4D01506824470D931FFD9BB00F37BDCA |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead |website=[[Telekom Deutschland]] |access-date=8 November 2009 }}</ref> [[Deutsche Post]], [[German Academic Exchange Service]], and [[SolarWorld]] are in Bonn.

The third largest employer in the city of Bonn is the [[University of Bonn]] (including the university clinics)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www3.uni-bonn.de/einrichtungen/universitaetsverwaltung/organisationsplan/dezernat-3/ausbildung/die-universitaet-bonn-stellt-sich-vor |title=Presentation of the University of Bonn |access-date=2 July 2021 |archive-date=13 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613042053/http://www3.uni-bonn.de/einrichtungen/universitaetsverwaltung/organisationsplan/dezernat-3/ausbildung/die-universitaet-bonn-stellt-sich-vor |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Stadtwerke Bonn]] also follows as a major employer.<ref>[http://www.ihk-bonn.de/index.php?id=1527&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2790&cHash=deb264873383511f1542df72a6f947e7 ''More jobs in the region: Largest companies in terms of employees in 2012 in the IHK district of Bonn / Rhein-Sieg.''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033456/http://www.ihk-bonn.de/index.php?id=1527&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2790&cHash=deb264873383511f1542df72a6f947e7 |date=4 March 2016 }} Communication from the IHK Bonn ({{As of|2012|June|lc=y}})</ref>

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 a production site in Bonn. Since April 2018, the head office of the company is located in the Rhineland-Palatinate municipality of [[Grafschaft, Rhineland|Grafschaft]].<ref name=isleaving>{{cite web |url=https://ga.de/ga-english/news/haribo-is-leaving-kessenich-almost_aid-43765009 |title=Haribo is leaving Kessenich – almost |newspaper=[[General-Anzeiger]] |date=15 May 2018 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329042041/https://ga.de/ga-english/news/haribo-is-leaving-kessenich-almost_aid-43765009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other companies of supraregional importance are [[J. Weck|Weck Glaswerke]] (production site), [[Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International|Fairtrade]], [[Eaton Industries]] (formerly Klöckner & Moeller), [[IVG Immobilien]], [[Kautex Textron]], [[SolarWorld]], [[Vapiano]] and the SER Group.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.ser.de/unternehmen/geschaeftsstellen/bonn.html |title=SER Locations |access-date=2 July 2021 |archive-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608020255/https://www.ser.de/unternehmen/geschaeftsstellen/bonn.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Geschäftsstelle der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft in Bonn-Bad Godesberg.jpg|thumb|Offices of [[Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft|DFG]], an important research funding organisation]]
[[File:Bonn 1266, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.jpg|thumb|[[University of Bonn]] Electoral Palace]]

The Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms Universität Bonn ([[University of Bonn]]) is one of the largest universities in Germany. It is also the location of the German research institute [[Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft]] (DFG) offices and of the [[German Academic Exchange Service]] (''Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst'' – DAAD).

===Private schools===
* [[Aloisiuskolleg]], a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] private school in Bad Godesberg with boarding facilities
* Amos-Comenius-Gymnasium, a [[Protestant]] private school in Bad Godesberg
* [[Bonn International School]] (BIS), a private English-speaking school set in the former American Compound in the Rheinaue, which offers places from kindergarten to 12th grade. It follows the curriculum of the [[International Baccalaureate]].
* Libysch Schule, private Arabic high school
* [[Independent Bonn International School]], (IBIS) private primary school (serving from kindergarten, reception, and years 1 to 6)
* [[École de Gaulle - Adenauer]], private French-speaking school serving grades pre-school ("maternelle") to grade 4 (CM1)
* [[Kardinal-Frings-Gymnasium]] (''KFG''), private catholic school of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne|Archdiocese of Cologne]] in [[Beuel]]
* [[Erzbischöfliche Liebfrauenschule Bonn|Liebfrauenschule]] (''LFS''), private catholic school of the Archdiocese of Cologne 
* {{ill|Sankt-Adelheid-Gymnasium|de}}, private catholic school of the Archdiocese of Cologne in Beuel
* {{ill|Clara-Fey-Gymnasium|de}}, private Catholic school of the [[Archdiocese of Cologne]] in Bad Godesberg
* {{ill|Ernst-Kalkuhl-Gymnasium|de}}, private boarding and day school in [[Oberkassel, Bonn|Oberkassel]]
* {{ill|Otto-Kühne-Schule|de}} ("PÄDA"), private day school in Bad Godesberg
* {{ill|Collegium Josephinum Bonn|de}} ("CoJoBo"), private catholic day school
* Akademie für Internationale Bildung, private higher educational facility offering programs for international students
; Former schools
* [[King Fahd Academy (Germany)|King Fahd Academy]], private Islamic school in Bad Godesberg

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations|1620|4500|1720|6535|1732|8015|1760|13500|1784|12644|1798|8837|1808|8219|1817|10970|1849|17688|1871|26030|1890|39805|1910|87978|1919|91410|1925|90249|1933|98659|1939|100788|1950|115394|1961|143850|1966|136252|1970|275722|1980|288148|1990|292234|2001|306016|2011|305765|2022|321544|align=right|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.
 source:{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Germany: States and Major Cities |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/ |access-date=18 July 2024 |archive-date=1 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901193530/https://citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
[[File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Bonn.svg|thumb|Population development since 1620]]
{{As of|2011}}, Bonn had a population of 327,913. About 70% of the population was entirely of German origin, while about 100,000 people, equating to roughly 30%, were at least partly of non-German origin. The city is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Germany and the 18th most populous city in the country. Bonn's population is predicted to surpass the populations of [[Wuppertal]] and [[Bochum]] before the year 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ihk-bonn.de/index.php?id=484&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=3203&cHash=b391fefbdac6e3220eafe80076f021aa |title=IHK Bonn/Rhein-Sieg: Bonn wächst weiter |date=29 November 2012 |access-date=20 March 2013 |archive-date=9 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009182832/http://www.ihk-bonn.de/index.php?id=484&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews&#91;tt_news&#93;=3203&cHash=b391fefbdac6e3220eafe80076f021aa |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The following list shows the largest groups of origin of minorities with "[[migration background]]" in Bonn {{As of|2021|12|31|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eckzahlen der aktuellen Bevölkerungsstatistik (Stichtag 31.12.2021) |url=https://www2.bonn.de/statistik/dl/ews/Bevoelkerungsstatistik2021.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.bonn.de/statistik/dl/ews/Bevoelkerungsstatistik2021.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |website=www2.bonn.de |publisher=Statistikstelle der Bundesstadt Bonn |access-date=23 May 2021 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" |Rank
! style="background:#efefef;" |[[Migration background]]
! style="background:#efefef;" |Population (31 December 2022)
|-
|1||{{flag|Syria}}|| 9,428
|-
|2||{{flag|Turkey}}|| 8,254
|-
|3||{{flag|Poland}}|| 6,879
|-
|4||{{flag|Morocco}}|| 5,921
|-
|5||{{flag|Italy}}|| 3,976
|-
|6||{{flag|Russia}}|| 3,933
|-
|7||{{flag|Iran}}|| 3,341
|-
|8||{{flag|Spain}}|| 3,282
|-
|9||{{flag|Iraq}}|| 2,744
|-
|10||{{flag|Romania}}|| 2,429
|-
|11||{{flag|India}}|| 2,216
|-
|12||{{flag|France}}|| 2,198
|-
|13||{{flag|Afghanistan}}|| 2,043
|-
|14||{{flag|Ukraine}}|| 1,918
|-
|15||{{flag|United States}}||1,823
|-
|16||{{flag|Bulgaria}}||1,781
|-
|17||{{flag|China}}||1,764
|-
|18||{{flag|Tunisia}}||1,736
|-
|19||{{flag|Greece}}||1,657
|-
|20||{{flag|Kosovo}}||1,635
|-
|21||{{flag|Kazakhstan}}||1,579
|-
|22||{{flag|United Kingdom}}||1,343
|-
|23||{{flag|Netherlands}}||1,260
|-
|24||{{flag|Croatia}}||1,220
|-
|}

[[File:Bonn DTAG2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Deutsche Telekom]] head office]]

==Sports==
Bonn is home of the [[Telekom Baskets Bonn]], the only basketball club in Germany that owns its arena, the [[Telekom Dome]].<ref>[http://www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de/telekom-dome/uebersicht.html "Telekom Baskets Bonn – Telekom Dome – Übersicht"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040651/http://www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de/telekom-dome/uebersicht.html |date=12 October 2013 }}, ''Telekom-Baskets-Bonn.de''. Retrieved 8 March 2014. {{in lang|de }}</ref> The club is the reigning champion of the [[2022–23 Basketball Champions League]].

The city also has a semi-professional football team [[Bonner SC]] which was formed in 1965 through the merger of ''Bonner FV'' and ''Tura Bonn''.

The Bonn Gamecocks American football team play at the 12,000-capacity Stadion Pennenfeld.

The successful [[Baseball in Germany|German Baseball]] team [[Bonn Capitals]] are also found in the city of Bonn.

The headquarters of the [[International Paralympic Committee]] has been located in Bonn since 1999.

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Since 1983, the City of Bonn has established friendship relations with the City of [[Tel Aviv]], Israel, and since 1988 Bonn, in former times the residence of the Princes Electors of Cologne, and [[Potsdam]], Germany, the formerly most important residential city of the Prussian rulers, have established a city-to-city partnership.

Central Bonn is surrounded by a number of traditional towns and villages which were independent up to several decades ago. As many of those communities had already established their own contacts and partnerships before the regional and local reorganisation in 1969, the Federal City of Bonn now has a dense network of city district partnerships with European partner towns.

The city district of Bonn is a partner of the English university city of [[Oxford]], England, UK (since 1947), of [[Budafok]], District XXII of [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] (since 1991) and of [[Opole]], [[Poland]] (officially since 1997; contacts were established 1954).

The district of Bad Godesberg has established partnerships with [[Saint-Cloud]] in France, [[Frascati]] in Italy, [[Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead|Windsor and Maidenhead]] in England, UK and [[Kortrijk]] in Belgium; a friendship agreement has been signed with the town of [[Yalova]], Turkey.

The district of Beuel on the right bank of the Rhine and the city district of Hardtberg foster partnerships with towns in France: [[Mirecourt]] and [[Villemomble]].

Moreover, the city of Bonn has developed a concept of international co-operation and maintains sustainability oriented project partnerships in addition to traditional city twinning, among others with [[Minsk]] in Belarus, [[Ulaanbaatar]] in Mongolia, [[Bukhara]] in Uzbekistan, [[Chengdu]] in China and [[La Paz]] in Bolivia.

===Twin towns – sister cities===
Bonn is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partners across the world |url=https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/international-profile/international-cooperations/partners-across-the-world.php |website=bonn.de |publisher=Bonn |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125222723/https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/international-profile/international-cooperations/partners-across-the-world.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=City twinnings |url=https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/international-profile/international-cooperations/city-twinnings.php |website=bonn.de |publisher=Bonn |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014153250/https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/international-profile/international-cooperations/city-twinnings.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagdeco|UZB}} [[Bukhara]], Uzbekistan (1999)
* {{flagdeco|GHA}} [[Cape Coast]], Ghana (2012)
* {{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Chengdu]], China (2009)
* {{flagdeco|UKR}} [[Kherson]], Ukraine (2023)
* {{flagdeco|BLR}} [[Minsk]], Belarus (1993)
* {{flagdeco|BOL}} [[La Paz]], Bolivia (1996)
* {{flagdeco|GER}} [[Potsdam]], Germany (1988)
<!--Ramallah - not twinning-->
* {{flagdeco|ISR}} [[Tel Aviv]], Israel (1983)
* {{flagdeco|MGL}} [[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia (1993)
{{div col end}}

Bonn city district is twinned with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften Bonn |url=https://www.bonn.de/bonn-erleben/besichtigen-entdecken/staedtepartnerschaften-bonn.php |website=bonn.de |publisher=Bonn |language=de |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=16 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816200001/https://www.bonn.de/bonn-erleben/besichtigen-entdecken/staedtepartnerschaften-bonn.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|GRB}} [[Oxford]], United Kingdom (1947)
* {{flagdeco|HUN}} [[Budafok-Tétény|Budafok-Tétény (Budapest)]], Hungary (1991)
<!--Opole - twinning ended-->

For twin towns of other city districts, see [[Bad Godesberg#Twin towns – sister cities|Bad Godesberg]], [[Beuel#Twin towns – sister cities|Beuel]] and [[Hardtberg#Twin towns – sister cities|Hardtberg]].

==Notable people==

=== Pre–20th century ===
[[File:Joseph Karl Stieler's Beethoven mit dem Manuskript der Missa solemnis.jpg|thumb|[[Ludwig van Beethoven]]]]
[[File:Alexander Koenig.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Alexander Koenig]]]]
* [[Johann Peter Salomon]] (1745–1815), musician
* [[Franz Anton Ries]] (1755–1846), violinist and violin teacher
* [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] (1770–1827), composer
* [[Salomon Oppenheim, Jr.]] (1772–1828), banker
* [[Peter Joseph Lenné]] (1789–1866), gardener and landscape architect
* [[Friedrich von Gerolt]] (1797–1879), diplomat
* [[Karl Joseph Simrock]] (1802–1876), writer and specialist in German
* [[Wilhelm Neuland]] (1806–1889), composer and conductor
* [[Johanna Kinkel]] (1810–1858), composer and writer
* [[Moses Hess]] (1812–1875), philosopher and writer
* [[Johann Gottfried Kinkel]] (1815–1882), theologian, writer, and politician 
* [[Alexander Kaufmann]] (1817–1893), author and archivist
* [[Leopold Kaufmann]] (1821–1898), mayor
* [[Julius von Haast]] (1822–1887), New Zealand explorer and professor of geology
* [[Dietrich Brandis]] (1824–1907), botanist
* [[Balduin Möllhausen]] (1825–1905), traveler and writer
* [[Maurus Wolter]] (1825–1890), Benedictine, founder and first abbot of the Abbey of Beuron and Beuronese Congregation
* [[August Reifferscheid]] (1835–1887), philologist
* [[Antonius Maria Bodewig]] (1839–1915), Jesuit missionary and founder
* [[Nathan Zuntz]] (1847–1920), physician
* [[Alexander Koenig]] (1858–1940), zoologist, founder of [[Museum Koenig]] in Bonn
* [[Alfred Philippson]] (1864–1953), geographer
* [[Johanna Elberskirchen]] (1864–1943), writer and activist
* [[Max Alsberg]] (1877–1933), lawyer
* [[Kurt Wolff (publisher)|Kurt Wolff]] (1887–1963), publisher
* [[Hans Riegel Sr.]] (1893–1945), entrepreneur, founder of [[Haribo]]
* [[Eduard Krebsbach]] (1894–1947), [[SS]] doctor in [[Nazi]] [[Mauthausen concentration camp]], executed for war crimes
* [[Paul Kemp (actor)|Paul Kemp]] (1896–1953), actor

=== 1900–1949 ===
[[File:Heidesimonis.jpg|thumb |180px |[[Heide Simonis]]]]
* [[Hermann Josef Abs]] (1901–1994), board member of the [[Deutsche Bank]]
* [[Paul Ludwig Landsberg]] (1901–1944), in [[Sachsenhausen concentration camp]], philosopher
* [[Heinrich Lützeler]] (1902–1988), philosopher, art historian, and literary scholar
* [[Frederick Stephani]] (1903–1962), film director and screenwriter 
* [[Helmut Horten]] (1909–1987), entrepreneur 
* [[Theodor Schieffer]] (1910–1992), historian and medievalist
* [[Irene Sänger-Bredt]] (1911–1983), mathematician and physicist
* [[E. F. Schumacher]] (1911–1977), economist
* [[Karl-Theodor Molinari]] (1915–1993), General and founding chairman of the German Armed Forces Association
* [[Karlrobert Kreiten]] (1916–1943), pianist
* [[Hans Walter Zech-Nenntwich]] (born 1916), Second Polish Republic, SS Cavalry member and war criminal
* [[Walther Killy]] (1917–1985), German literary scholar, ''Der Killy''
* [[Hannjo Hasse]] (1921–1983), actor
* [[Walter Gotell]] (1924–1997), actor
* [[Walter Eschweiler]] (born 1935), football referee
* [[Alexandra Cordes]] (1935–1986), writer
* [[Joachim Bißmeier]] (born 1936), actor
* [[Roswitha Esser]] (born 1941), canoeist, gold medal winner at the Olympic Games in 1964 and 1968, Sportswoman of the Year 1964
* [[Heide Simonis]] (1943–2023), politician (SPD), former Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, since 2005 honorary chairman of [[UNICEF]] Germany
* [[Paul Alger]] (born 1943), football player
* [[Johannes Mötsch]] (born 1949), archivist and historian 
* [[Klaus Ludwig]] (born 1949), race car driver
* Albert Kunetz (born 1951), classical pianist

=== 1950–1999 ===
* [[Günter Ollenschläger]] (born 1951), medical and science journalist
* [[Hans Bongartz|Hans "Hannes" Bongartz]] (born 1951), football player and coach
* [[Christa Goetsch]] (born 1952), politician (Alliance '90 / The Greens)
* [[Michael Meert]] (born 1953), film author and director
* [[Thomas de Maizière]] (born 1954), politician (CDU), former Minister of Defense and of the Interior
* [[Gerd Faltings]] (born 1954), mathematician, [[Fields Medal]] winner
* [[Olaf Manthey]] (born 1955), former touring car racing driver
* [[Michael Kühnen]] (1955–1991), Neo-Nazi
* [[Roger Willemsen]] (1955–2016), publicist, author, essayist, and presenter
* [[Norman Rentrop]] (born 1957), publisher, author, and investor
* [[Markus Maria Profitlich]] (born 1960), comedian and actor
* [[Guido Westerwelle]] (1961–2016), politician (FDP), Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011
* [[Mathias Dopfner]] (born 1963), chief executive officer of [[Axel Springer AG]]
* [[Nikolaus Blome]] (born 1963), journalist
* [[Maxim Kontsevich]] (born 1964), mathematician, [[Fields Medal]] winner
* [[Johannes B. Kerner]] (born 1964), TV presenter, Abitur at the [[Aloisiuskolleg]], and studied in Bonn
* [[Anthony Baffoe]] (born 1965), football player, sports presenter, and actor
* [[Sonja Zietlow]] (born 1968), TV presenter
* [[Burkhard Garweg]] (born 1968), member of the [[Red Army Faction]]
* [[Sabriye Tenberken]] (born 1970), Tibetologist, founder of [[Braille Without Borders]]
* [[Thorsten Libotte]] (born 1972), writer
* [[Tamara Gräfin von Nayhauß]] (born 1972), television presenter
* [[Silke Bodenbender]] (born 1974), actress
* [[Juli Zeh]] (born 1974), writer
* [[Oliver Mintzlaff]] (born 1975), track and field athlete and sports manager, CEO of [[RB Leipzig]]
* [[Markus Dieckmann]] (born 1976), beach volleyball player
* [[Bernadette Heerwagen]] (born 1977), actress
* [[Melanie Amann]] (born 1978), journalist
* [[Bushido (rapper)|Bushido]] (born 1978), musician and rapper
* [[Sonja Fuss]] (born 1978), football player
* [[DJ Manian]] (born 1978), DJ of [[Cascada]] and owner of [[Zooland Records]]
* [[Andreas Tölzer]] (born 1980), judoka
* [[Jens Hartwig]] (born 1980), actor
* [[Natalie Horler]] (born 1981), front woman of the Dance Project [[Cascada]]
* [[Marcel Ndjeng]] (born 1982), football player
* [[Marc Zwiebler]] (born 1984), badminton player
* [[Benjamin Barg]] (born 1984), football player
* [[Alexandros Margaritis]] (born 1984), race car driver
* [[Ken Miyao]] (born 1986), pop singer
* [[Felix Reda]] (born 1986), politician
* [[Peter Scholze]] (born 1987), mathematician, [[Fields Medal]] winner
* [[Célia Šašić]] (born 1988), football player
* [[Luke Mockridge]] (born 1989), comedian and author
* [[Pius Heinz]] (born 1989), poker player, 2011 [[World Series of Poker|WSOP]] Main Event champion
* [[Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann]] (born 1990), basketball player
* [[Levina (singer)|Levina]] (born 1991), singer
* [[Bienvenue Basala-Mazana]] (born 1992), football player
* [[Kim Petras]] (born 1992), pop singer and songwriter
* [[Annika Beck]] (born 1994), tennis player
* [[James Hyndman (actor)|James Hyndman]] (born 1962), stage actor
* [[Konstanze Klosterhalfen]] (born 1997), track and field athlete

=== 21st century ===

* [[Anny Ogrezeanu]] (born 2001), singer and ''[[The Voice of Germany]]'' winner 2022

====Note====
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Bonn#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Bonn}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bonn}}
{{wikivoyage|Bonn}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170606072608/http://www.bonn.de/index.html?lang=en Official website] {{in lang|en}} (archived)
* [https://www.bonn-region.de/en/ Tourist information]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170708153952/http://www.bonn.de/tourismus_kultur_sport_freizeit/bonn_ist_kultur/museen/museumsmeile/index.html?lang=en "The Museum Mile"] (archived)
* [http://www.bundeskunsthalle.de/en/home.html Germany's Museum of Art in Bonn]

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bonn| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Former national capitals]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Rhine]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Germany]]
[[Category:10s BC establishments in the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Roman legionary fortresses in Germany]]
[[Category:Roman fortifications in Germania Inferior]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Cologne (region)]]
[[Category:Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia]]