StadtMuseum Bonn online

Who we are and what we do…

The StadtMuseum
The StadtMuseum Bonn is a museum of the city of Bonn. It was founded on 15th of January 1998. The mission of this museum is to portray the urban history of Bonn and to present and maintain it's large inventory.

Organization / Team Members of staff and guides:
Office and postal address
StadtMuseum Bonn
P. O. Box
53103 Bonn
Tel: 0228/772094 (secretariat and management)
Fax: 0228/774298
E-mail: stadtmuseum@bonn.de
Office entry: Adenauerallee 18-22, 53113 Bonn

Guided tours / lectures:
A team of voluntarily working staff members is regularly giving guided tours through our permanent exhibition and our special exhibitions in Franziskanerstraße and at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Haus. Arising expenses

History:
In the last couple of years the StadtMuseum was able to achieve nationwide a good reputation with special exhibitions in the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Haus.

Inventory:
Due to the fact that the history of establishment was quite changeful, the StadtMuseum is now carrying a very heterogeneous stock. It is specially abounded in the rich inventory ranging from the 18th until the 20th century.

Since 1989 the StadtMuseum Bonn is supported by trusts, legacies, donations and benefits. For further information and general enquiries please contact us via mail or call us on 0228/772094.

History
In 1886 an association of historically interested citizens ("Bonnensia") was constituted with the purpose to assemble a collection by acquisitions to set up an urban museum by the city of Bonn. Due to unforeseeable incidents it still had to last more than hundered years until the opening of the StadtMuseum came true at 15th January 1998. Back then this Bonn association was not the only society with historical targets. At the end of the 19th century societies with this purpose where built up in a lot of German cities, such as Cologne and Munich. The reasons why the city of Bonn more or less delayed the constitution of an urban museum had specifically financial background. After World War II a museum devoted to the city's history was founded as Bonn became important as the new capital of Germany. The focus was put on "Rheinisch" expressionism as well as contemporary art.
The foundation of "Bonnensia" happened on purpose to initiate a museum of the city's history. Shortly before that, in 1882, the city received in a donation the art collection of the professor Dr. Franz Obernier, his mansion and also his assets in the amount of 130.000 DM. "Villa Obernier" as the city's museum was therefore constituted. Even though the Villa was open to the public already in 1884, it didn't succeed due to the missing of professional leadership to expand the inventory of mainly "Düsseldorfer" and "Münchner Malerschule" and early Dutch and Italian collections.

Inventory
Most of the received collections - apart from some early imagery by Dutch or Italian masters acquired by Professor Obernier - put their focus on the 18th and 19th century. For this reason the StadtMuseum owns hardly any exhibits from earlier centuries. One exception is the "Bonner Löwe" (Lion of Bonn) made out of sandstone, which since the 12th century used to be an oathing stone at the Münsterplatz, next to the Prangersäule. Since the 1950s it is located in the foyer at the Old Cityhall.
The collection of the 18th until the 20th century is - for lack of professional and conceptual acquirement, supplementation or enhancement - also very heterogeneous. This is also the reason why concerning some incidents there do exist a lot of evidences and on other incidents that aren't less important or in historical perspective even more significant, is the evidence missing. Permanent exhibits on loan would not compensate, even though we would have to pass on the exemplarily presentation of the history of Bonn beginning from Roman times until 18th century. At this point we would like to thank the "Kölnisches Stadtmuseum" and the "Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn".
As exhibits on loan only from preservation uncomplicated items are available. A big and for incidents in the past very important part is missing, such as textile and graphic arts. Since a museum is living from it's visual impressions and from presenting it's originals, the existing collection maintains also the conception, that for this reason the focus is set on the 18th and 19th century, although a lot of topics have to remain not discussed in absence of existing and representable objects.

Collection Delander
In December 1994 Curt Delander committed his complete collection, clothes and memorabilia of Zarah Leander, Willy Millowitsch and Marika Rökk as a gift to the StadtMueum Bonn. Further objects were added later on. In 2004 Curt Delander arranged a donation from the legal estate of Marika Rökk after her death on May 16th 2004.

Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Haus
Historical treasure from 1819 in the city centre of Bonn next to the university with special flair and in idyllic site. The Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Haus is a side building of the StadtMuseum, where special exhibitions are taking place.
Opening hours during special exhibitions:
Wednesday to Saturday 1.00 pm until 5.00 pm, Sunday 11.30 am until 5.00 pm
An insight on the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-House
From the entrance area in the ground floor to the right, you'll find the commemoration room of the house builder, the Bonn professor Ernst Moritz Arndt. In this room we show all of himself conveyed contemporary paintings respectively from his property originating objects (e.g. bookcase) that are now in possession of StadtMuseum Bonn. The other three rooms on the ground floor are lying in direction to the Rhine and are concipitated for special exhibitions and events organized by the StadtMuseum Bonn. These rooms and the terrace are also for rent for any kind of festivity, provided that there are no exhibitions. A staircase is leading to the upper floor. The Biedermeiersalon to the left was kindly furnished by the StadtMuseum thanks to financial support by the Bonn Company Miesen. The ensemble of couch, stools and little commode with mirror frame made out of burl wood indicates early Rhenisch Biedermeier.

Renting the side building
The StadtMuseum opens the side building for special occasions such as festivities or specific arrangements, provided that there are no exhibitions or events. For rent are three rooms downstairs, with view over the Rhine and equipped with contemporary prints. The rooms of this house in early Biedermeier and the only preserved professor's residence from the first years of the in 1818 founded university are hourly, respectively on daily basis (max. 9.00 -24.00) for rent. You can receive an impression on the Arndt-House in the virtual tour.
Additionally to use is the next to the Rhine located terrace, which gives an undisguised view on the river and the Siebengebirge. The renting requires a previous contract conclusion with the museum's management.
For further information as well as terms of use and fee schedule please contact the office of StadtMuseum Bonn. For retrieving more information on Ernst Moritz Arndt, please click here.

Virtual tour

Roman Bonn
Human habitation in the areas surrounding Bonn can be traced back to the Paleolithic era. Several decades before the birth of Christ, the Germanic Ubier tribe settled down in what today is the city of Bonn. "Bonna" is first referred to in writing in the year 11 BCE, when the Romans established a military base that was subsequently expanded. The gilded age of the Roman Bonn began, which gradually petered out after the year 250 AD. In the fifth century, the Franks came to rule the region.

From the Middle Ages to the End of the Old Empire After the end of the Roman reign, the Franks began to rule Bonn from the fifth century on. A new civil society replaced the former Roman camp. A new settlement developed next to the so-called "Bonnburg", where today Münster can be found. The historical record shows that a small "cella memoria" was present in the fourth century, in which the Romans commemorated their dead. Legend holds that Cassius and Florentius, Roman soldiers from the Thebaic Legion, were honored there, for they supposedly died in Bonn as martyrs. A monastery and precursors to today's city of Münster were built to care for the growing number of pilgrims. A small market was established nearby.

Contemporary Views of Bonn and its Surrounding Areas from the 17th to the 20th Centuries
The so called topographical room unites views of the city from different historical epochs. A variety of artistic perspectives chronicle the city's development from the end of the seventeenth century to the present. The paintings, engravings, and photographs document changes in the city image from the baroque splendor of the Elector Times to the devastation of both World Wars and the building boom that took place during its time as the capital of Germany. A wooden model of the city holds center stage, but the displayed porcelain from the areas surrounding Bonn also highlight a change in how the city is perceived and the discovery of the romantic Rhein as a travel destination.

Bonn as a Capital and Residential City of Cologne's Electors and the Electoral Gallery
The so-called topographical room unites views of the city from different historical epochs. A variety of artistic perspectives chronicle the city's development from the end of the seventeenth century to the present. The paintings, engravings, and photographs document changes in the city image from the baroque splendor of the Electoral Times to the devastation of both World Wars and the building boom that took place during its time as the capital of Germany. A wooden model of the city holds center stage, but the displayed porcelain from the areas surrounding Bonn also highlight changes in how the city is perceived and the discovery of the romantic Rhein as a travel destination.

Bonn as a Capital and Residential City of Cologne's Electors and the Electoral Gallery
Several original artifacts from the Electoral palace (today the University of Bonn's main building), Schloss Clemensruh in Poppelsdorf, and the palaces of the city's nobles (unfortunately, none of which can still be found in the city today) provide insight into the courtly splendor of the eighteenth century kurkölnischen residential city. The city's pomp reached its zenith under Prince Elector Clemens August, even if it never reached the level of Versailles, whose image served as the ideal for all German courts.

Bonn from the end of the Eighteenth Century to the 1870s
Bonn's history during this epoch is a story of shifting power. The French occupation of 1794 ended two hundred years of electoral reign. French rule lasted for only two decades, but left a lasting impression on the city. In the aftermath of the Congress of Vienna, Bonn finally fell to the Prussians in 1815.

Schmidtbonn Room
Literature in, from, and about Bonn: the Schmidtbonn room boasts literature from Apollinaire to Heinrich Heine, Thomas Mann, and Virginia Woolf. Bonn and the surrounding "Seven Mountains" (Siebengebirge) were an inspiring motive not only for artists, but also for writers who were eager to incorporate them into their work. With the founding of the university and the discovery of the Rhein as a tourist destination, increasing numbers of foreign writers flocked to Bonn in the nineteenth century. As the provincial capital, it served as the backdrop for political novels. Images of authors and excerpts from their works in which Bonn played a role (however large or small) are showcased on wall panels in this room.

Music in Bonn
The history of music in Bonn can generally be broken into two distinct phases: one courtly, one civil. The courtly music phase lasted from the kurfuerstliche period until 1794. Two kettle drums and the drum with the kurfuerstlicher coat of arms bear impressive witness from this period. The civil phase followed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Bourgeois Salon in the 1900s and the Tentens' Dining Room (Bonn's Entrepreneurial Family) around 1900
Both interiors presented here, which are only separated from each other by an open passageway, offer an image of the domestic environment of the upper classes. They set the standards for cultural life among Bonn's bourgeois classes around 1900, among whom many patrons could be found.

Photography Studio and Fashion Salon from the Period around 1900
Separated only by a passageway, one sees here a photography studio and a fashion salon, both with their original interiors, from the period around 1900. They document the typical changes that took place in the urban context during this period, in which paint studios became photography studios and stores with ready-made clothes were established, at the expense of the large number of individual tailors that had previously dominated the clothing industry.

Bonn's General Stores
The scent of freshly ground coffee and floor polish: these aromas must have met the customers when they entered the general store previously located at Sternenburgstraße 66 in Bonn-Poppelsdorf. The dim and charming shop provided predominantly local clientele with food and other useful objects for the home for nearly a century. After first opening in 1893, the owners finally gave up the store in 1988 due to their age.

Hairdressing Salon in Bonn around 1900
The sign across from the main door clearly states: "Damen- u. Herrenfriseur" (Hairdresser for Women and Men). One hundred years ago, the fashion-conscious woman could have her curls set and men could have their mustaches twirled in front of the elegantly curved mirror with colored glass detailing in a floral design. The Art Nouveau interiors with a nutwood counter and the hairwashing sinks set in the marble countertop are from a hair salon in Bonn-Poppelsdorf that opened shortly after the turn of the century. The salon was very close to the general store, indicating that their locations were strategically chosen.

Bonn from ca. 1871 to the Weimar Republic
The period between the establishment of the German Empire on January 18, 1871 and Emperor Wilhelm's abdication on November 9, 1918 is known as the imperial period. Despite confessional conflicts, imperial Bonn was a wealthy, prospering city. The onset of the First World War disrupted this development; the Treaty of Versailles demilitarized the Rheinland and led to its occupation by French troops. The Weimar Republic was declared in Berlin, and the young democracy in Bonn faced a number of challenges.

Bonn from ca. 1930 to 1945
The economic crisis in Bonn led to widespread unemployment and, consequently, to hardship and distress. The political parties and unions became radical. After Reichspresident von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of the Republic, National Socialists took over the city halls in the 1933 March elections in Bonn, Beuel, Bad Godesberg, and Duisdorf. The society turned toward National Socialism; political opponents and individuals who did not fit the national socialist image were persecuted. The Second World War, which dominated Europe, could be felt more strongly in Bonn after 1942. Airstrike alerts became a daily occurrence. October 18, 1944 holds especially poignant memories for the inhabitants of Bonn: the entire inner city was laid to waste; over 400 people died. The American invasion on March 8, 1945 put an end to the horrific dictatorship.

Bonn from 1945 to Today
The Federal Republic of Germany's "Zero Hour" brought with it the most important change in Bonn's history during the postwar period. As the capital city from 1949 to 1991, Bonn became a stage for world politics. During the reunification of Germany, however, Bonn lost its status as the capital city.

Katharina Ma