Citypension Bonn

Cardillac

by Nemorino

The opera Cardillac by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963) is based on a very spooky story by E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776 - 1822), set in the dark and treacherous streets of Paris in the 17th century.

Several brutal murders have alarmed the populace. The victims all had one thing in common. They were all in possession of beautiful pieces of jewelry created by a master craftsman, the goldsmith Cardillac. It turns out that Cardillac himself was the serial killer, because he couldn't bear to part with the artistic masterpieces he had created.

In the first photo, which is of a picture in a display case outside the Bonn Opera, we can see the urban masses holding identical faces to show that together they are not individuals but potentially a volatile mob. At the end they lynch Cardillac (not that he didn't deserve it), and then leave their identical faces behind, going home to become individuals once again.

Second photo: In the lobby of the opera house there was an interesting photo display showing various productions of Cardillac from the past eight decades. Included were two Frankfurt productions from the seasons 1927/28 and 1952/53. Unfortunately they did not include the most recent Frankfurt production from the 1999/2000 season, which logically enough is the only one of them that I have seen.

Third photo: Cardillac banner across the Poststraße, near the main station.

Fourth photo: Cardillac banner across the Franziskanerstraße, by the City Museum and the University.

http://www.hindemith.org/

Bonner Münsters

by Rupanworld

The Bonner Münster is a very tall Romanesque basilica, very difficult to capture in a single shot from an ordinary camera like mine. Originally it was a small memorial shrine built on the graves of two martyrs killed for their faith. Later on a Church was built here. However, in the year 1050, this church was demolished and the construction of the present Romanesque building began and continued for two centuries. The Romanesque basilica appeared in the coat of arms of the sovereign state of Bonn. At the time I visited Bonn, there was a huge Christmas market in front of the Münster and therefore I was unable to take a better picture of the beautiful imposing building.

Beethovendenkmal

by Rupanworld

Just in front of the Bonner Münster and the old palace which is being used as the Post office since 1877 is the Beethovendenkmal or Beethoven's statue dedicated to his memory. Since we were in Bonn just a month before Christmas, there was a huge christmas market in that area and since I wanted to see this monument, I was actually looking for it for a long time and found it out finally in the middle of stalls. I did not quite like the idea, but I guess I should not comment. The statue is a beautiful one made of bronze and was unveiled in 1845 commemorating his 75th birth anniversary.

August Macke's city

by halikowski

"The Red House (Das Rote Haus)"

This expressionist picture hung on my wall at Cambridge as a student. It was a gift from a friend. I loved both its composition and its intrigue and mystery.
I would be curious to know if it stems from the artist August Macke's time in Bonn, where he spent the majority of his creative life. He travelled, as we all do, so the house could have been elsewhere, but for the moment I take it as stemming from Bonn.

The city of Beethoven !

by Lucky79

Moeller - the mother company. I work for Moeller since early 2001 and I still like it ;)

Bonn is located on the Rhine River about 15 miles south of Cologne. From 1949 to 1990 it was the capitol of West Germany. The city of Bonn dates back to the 1st Century B.C. when it was a river crossing for the Romans. Little development came about for the small city until the 19th Century when grew residentially. During World War II Bonn was damaged heavily by opposing forces. After which, development in the city began again. In 1949 Bonn was chosen as the capitol of West Germany. Through the years, Bonn has maintained a residential atmosphere with light industrial development.

Bonn is the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and has become a city concerned with promoting the musical arts. Bonn has a municipal orchestra which performs many national and international concerts. The Beethovenhalle is the modern concert hall in Bonn. Along with the music hall, the city has a municipal theater and several other theaters as well. Located near the city center is the Romanesque basilica (11th-13th Century). The basilica is a cathedral which has 5 towers. The former Electoral Palace is now the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn.