Bonn is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the Rhine River, about 15 miles south of Cologne. Between 1949 and 1990, it was the provisional capital of West Germany, and it was the German federal capital from 1990 to 1999.
During the 13th century, Bonn became the capital of the Electorate and Archbishopric of Cologne, a sovereign state. In 1815, Bonn was awarded to Prussia by the Congress of Vienna. During World War II, Bonn occupied a strategic position on the Rhine that prevented easy entry into the German heartland from the west thanks to its strategic location. German reunification in 1990 restored Berlin as Germany’s nominal capital.
Below are some fascinating historical photos that show Bonn from between the 1920s and 1940s.
