The Schaumburg Palace in Bonn, according to a plaque outside the building, was the home of the German Federal Chancellor from 1949 until 1976 – chancellors Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt all lived there. The first state guest to be received at the Schaumburg Palace after WWII was Robert Schuman, the French foreign minister who is considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union (the “Schuman declaration” is a landmark speech in the formation of what would eventually become the modern EU). In my French Foreign Policy class, we talked a bit about the “Paris-Bonn axis,” which is to say the strong diplomatic relationship that existed between the capitals of France and West Germany in the second half of the 20th century when the two countries were at the heart of the emerging EU. The Schaumburg Palace dates from 1860 and was initially built by a wealthy cloth manufacturer. After 1976, the German Chancellor’s office and housing moved to a newer, adjacent building, which was able to meet the ever-evolving technological needs of the German administration.
In addition to being the erstwhile German capital, Bonn is also the home to several United Nations offices, as well as the World Health Organization European Center for Environment and Health. According to their website, the UN offices in Bonn study “climate change, land degradation, biodiversity and ecosystem services, wildlife conservation, volunteerism, health, human security, disaster risk reduction, tourism, education and training,” as well as other areas.
Prior to my trip to Bonn, I was a bit nervous about the language, as I don’t speak a word of German. I needn’t have worried.
