Bad Godesberg () is a borough () of

Bonn Bonn () 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 south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

, southern

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

, most foreign

embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes a ...

were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings are still used as branch offices or

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a h ...

Geography

Bad Godesberg is located along the hills and cliffs of the west bank of the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

river, in west central Germany. Godesberg is also the name of the steep hill, of volcanic origin, on the top of which are the ruins of the Godesburg, a castle destroyed in 1583 during the Cologne War.

History

The following events occurred, per year: * 722 - First official record of the town, which was named after a nearby mountain, the Woudenesberg (later Godesberg), a

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

cone where the

Ubii 350px, The Ubii around AD 30 The Ubii were a Germanic tribe first encountered dwelling on the east bank of the Rhine in the time of Julius Caesar, who formed an alliance with them in 55 BC in order to launch attacks across the river. They were ...

, a Germanic tribe, worshipped the god

Wotan (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compos ...

. * 1210 - On 15 October,

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

Dietrich I lays the foundation stone of the Godesburg fortress on the Godesberg mountain. * 1583 - On 17 December, the Godesburg was destroyed by

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

n troops after Archbishop

Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg (10 November 1547 – 31 May 1601) was the archbishop-elector of Cologne from 1577 to 1588. After pursuing an ecclesiastical career, he won a close election in the cathedral chapter of Cologne over Ernst ...

converted to

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(see Cologne War). * 1792 - Godesberg becomes a spa resort, with the opening of the Redoute, which later saw receptions of the

President of Germany The president of Germany, officially titled the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international correspondence; the official English title is President of the F ...

. * 1925 - Godesberg is allowed to call itself "Bad" Godesberg, identifying it as a spa. * 1935 - Bad Godesberg attains the status of a town. * 1938 -

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

meets with

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

over the

Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and ) is a German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the border districts of Bohe ...

crisis at the Rheinhotel Dreesen in Bad Godesberg. Hitler's demands concerning

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

expressed in Godesberg Memorandum. * 1944–1945 - Bad Godesberg was the location of a Nazi-operated

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

camp. * 1945 - On March 8, Bad Godesberg was the first major German urban district to be transferred to Allied forces control without a battle. * 1959 - The

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...

(SPD) decided on a new party program, the Godesberg Program. * 1969 - Godesberg was incorporated into the city of Bonn. Since that time, it has been referred to as the "posh part of Bonn".

Infrastructure

Bonn-Bad Godesberg station is on the Left Rhine line and the line 16 and 63 of the

Bonn Stadtbahn The Bonn Stadtbahn () is a ''Stadtbahn'' system in Bonn, Germany, Bonn and the surrounding Rhein-Sieg area, that also includes the Trams in Bonn, Bonn Straßenbahn. Although with six actual Stadtbahn lines (as well as three tram lines) the network ...

. Circa 2018 a new police station was being built on former

Haribo Haribo GmbH & Co. KG, doing business as Haribo ( , , ; stylized in all caps), is a German confectionery company founded by Hans Riegel Sr. It began in Kessenich (Bonn), Kessenich, Bonn, Germany. The name "Haribo" is a syllabic abbreviation forme ...

property.

Politics

List of twin cities/sister cities

Bad Godesberg is twinned with: *

Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a French commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthie ...

, France (1957) *

Frascati Frascati () is a city and in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with science, ...

, Italy (1960) *

Windsor and Maidenhead The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a unitary authority area with royal borough status in Berkshire, England. The borough is named after its two largest towns of Maidenhead (where the council is based) and Windsor. The borough also ...

, England, United Kingdom (1960) *

Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...

, Belgium (1964)

Friendly cities

Bad Godesberg has friendly relations with: * Steglitz-Zehlendorf (Berlin), Germany (1962) *

Yalova Yalova is a market-gardening town located in northwestern Turkey on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara. It is the seat of Yalova Province and Yalova District.Schauspielhaus Bad Godesberg (Theater Bad Godesberg), the biggest theater of Bonn’s city stages *Kleines Theater im Park (Small Park Theater), venue for theater, boulevard theater, and

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

with few actors *Haus an der Redoute (House at the Redoute), previously an electoral theater, is nowadays a facility for changing/rotating art galleries *Piccolo Puppenspiele (Piccolo’s Puppet Show), puppet theater that also travels *Small

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

hall as the headquarters of the Heimatbühne Muffendorf (Home stage of Muffendorf)

Bad Godesberg in literature

A whole series of literary works take place in Bad Godesberg. The protagonist of Juli Zeh’s novel " Spieltrieb" (Gaming instinct) are students at the school Päda. Occurring locations in the novel are the school and the villa district. Heinrich Böll’s novel "Frauen vor Flußlandschaft" is set in the villa district between Bonn and Bad Godesberg. On October 30 the documentary piece " Zwei Welten" ("Two worlds") by Ingrid Müller-Münch had its premiere as a chamber play. The author explains that it shows Bad Godesberg in the change of time. It is a city where the worlds of "rich German people" and migrants collide. Nine actors perform excerpts from a protocol of mostly young inhabitants of Bad Godesberg, that Müller Münch took record of. In the pre-report of the piece, the

Frankfurter Rundschau The ''Frankfurter Rundschau'' (''FR'') is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. The ''Rundschaus editorial stance is social liberal. It holds that "independence, social justice and fairness" underlie its journalism. In Post-wa ...

called it a "Bad-Godesberg-Phänomen" (Bad Godesberg phenomenon). According to Müller-Münch, these two worlds were closer in Bad Godesberg than they were anywhere else.

Recurring events

Rhein in Flammen Rhein in Flammen (English: "Rhine in Flames") is the name of five different firework displays along the river Rhine in Germany. The displays take place annually, at various locations along the river. On the five different dates, brightly illumina ...

on the first Saturday of May: Large Firewokrs and a Ship tour from the Linz am Rhein along Erpel, Unkel,

Remagen Remagen () is a town in Germany in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler (district), Ahrweiler. It is about a one-hour drive from Cologne, just south of Bonn, the former West Germany, West German seat of government. It i ...

, Rheinbreitbach, Rhine island Nonnenwerth at Rolandswerth/

Bad Honnef Bad Honnef () is a spa town in Germany near Bonn in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels (Siebengebirge), ...

, Bad Godesberg,

Königswinter Königswinter (; ; Low Franconian: ) is a town and summer resort in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Königswinter is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, opposite Bad Godesberg, at the foot of the ...

to the Rheinaue in

*FeenCon Over the course of each year, there are always many diverse events and festivals that are being organized by the Stadtmarketing Bad Godesberg e.V. (city marketing department of Bad Godesberg). Some of which are flea and antique markets, a French market, a kids’ rally ("Tag der Kleinen Bad Godesberger"/"Day of the small Bad Godesbergers"), a city party, a Christmas Market, and a street food festival. The 23rd German Fire department day took place in Bad Godesberg from June 21 until June 25, 1961. The first CTIF Games took place in Bad Godesberg, since then the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services CTIF organizes the event every four years in different cities.

Rhenish traditions

Several

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

clubs have devoted themselves to the upkeep of Rhenish traditions, especially the Godesberger Stadtsoldatenkorps (city soldier corps), the Fidelen Burggrafen (merry burgraves) and the AKP (Allgemeine Karnevals Gesellschaft, General Carnival Society). The Coordination Committee of each Carnival Association is the FAGK (Festausschuss Godesberger Karneval, Festival Committee of Godesberger Carnival). In the carnival season, the clubs also organize a variety of meetings, and on the carnival Sunday a lavish parade. All clubs engage in

youth work Youth work is a community support activity aimed at older children and adolescents. Depending upon the culture and the community, different services and institutions may exist for this purpose. In general, it provides an environment where young pe ...

Education

Secondary schools

* Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium (NCG) *

Aloisiuskolleg The Aloisiuskolleg is a co-educational, Jesuit (Catholic church, Catholic), University-preparatory school in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany, which includes boarding school, boarders. It is named for Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Highly ranked academically ...

(AKO), partnerschool of the CFG * Amos-Comenius-Gymnasium Bonn (AMOS/ACG) ( DE) * Clara-Fey-Gymnasium (CFG), partnerschool of the AKO * Konrad-Adenauer-Gymnasium (KAG) ( DE) * Pädagogium Godesberg - Otto-Kühne-Schule (PÄDA)

International schools

* Bonn International School (BIS) * Independent Bonn International School (IBIS) * King Fahd Academy (closed)Authorities To Close Muslim School in Bonn
" ''

Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...

''. 11 November 2003. Retrieved on 24 July 2016.

Notable residents

* Paul Kemp (1896–1953), stage and film actor *

Klaus Barbie Nikolaus Barbie (25 October 1913 – 25 September 1991) was a German officer of the ''Schutzstaffel'' and ''Sicherheitsdienst'' who worked in Vichy France during World War II. He became known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortu ...

(1913–1991), SS and Gestapo functionary during WW II, war criminal known as "the butcher of Lyon". * Michaela Endler (born 1945), former cross-country skier * Harald Weinberg (born 1957), politician (The Linke) * Johannes B. Kerner(born 1964), television host and journalist.

Trivia

John le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. A "sophist ...

's novel '' The Little Drummer Girl'' begins with the bombing of the house of the

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

i labour

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché () is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified ac ...

in Bad Godesberg.

References

External links

*
Bad Godesberg section of Bonn city website
{{Authority control Urban districts and boroughs of Bonn Spa towns in Germany Former municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia