Capital on the Romantic Rhine

This provisional arrangement quickly turned into an institution that was apparently permanent. Bonn increasingly became a focal point of the world's interest, pictures from Bonn were transmitted all round the world on countless occasions. A lot of people are familiar with the building of the Chancellery, the magnificent Villa Hammerschmidt or the construction of the plenar hall that is flooded with light on the Rhine. An hour of destiny once again struck for Bonn 40 years later. On 3 October 1990, on the day of German reunification, Berlin officially became the capital city. And on 20 June 1991 the Bundestag made the decision to move to Berlin.

In accordance with the Berlin-Bonn act of 1994 Bonn remained the second political centre of the Federal Republic of Germany. Six of the 15 federal ministries either remained entirely or partially on the banks of the river Rhine in accordance with the will of the Federal Government. The Federal President and the Federal Chancellor retain Villa Hammerschmidt and Palais Schaumburg as their second official offices in the city of Bonn that was now called 'the federal city'. In the summer break of 1999 the government then moved from the Rhine to the Spree.