In the city of Bonn, on the banks of the Rhine River in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia

 "What I have in my heart and soul must find a way out."

-- Ludwig van Beethoven
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(on the banks of the Rhine River in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia) During the past 24 hours, Germans have been celebrating the anniversary of the country's reunification. On the third day of October in 1990, Germany was officially reunified after four decades of division into the Soviet-controlled, communist-led German Democratic Republic in the east, and the NATO-member Federal Republic Of Germany in the west. Reunification occurred only 11 months after the Berlin Wall had fallen, heralding the collapse of communist regimes in the east.

+ Having lived and worked in Germany myself, my thoughts at this time of the year also turn to the city of Bonn in the Köln (Cologne) Regierungsbezirk (administrative district) of North Rhine–Westphalia. Located on the Rhine River, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Cologne, Bonn was (from 1949 to 1990) the provisional capital of West Germany, and it served as the seat of the German federal government from 1990 until 1999–2000, when the government completed its move to Berlin (designated the capital in 1991).

+ Though probably best known as the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 (and of reunified Germany until 2000), Bonn actually has a history dating back to the 1st century BCE. Roman soldiers were stationed here and the largest known Roman fort was built at Bonn. In medieval times, the town gained prominence when the Archbishop of Cologne transferred his seat to Bonn. The city's most famous son is Ludwig van Beethoven, born in 1770 at Bonngasse, where a museum now honors him.

+ When this relaxed city on the Rhine became West Germany’s "temporary" capital in 1949 it surprised many, including its own residents. When in 1991 a reunited German government decided to move to Berlin, it shocked many, especially Bonn's own residents. More than a generation later, Bonn has a healthy economy and lively urban vibe. For visitors, the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven has plenty of note, not least the great composer’s birth house, a string of top-rated museums, a lovely riverside setting, and the nostalgic feel of the old government quarter.

+ Prominent historic buildings are the cathedral, a Romanesque basilica (11th–13th century) surmounted by five towers, of which the central (96 meters high) is a landmark in the Rhine River valley, and the old village churches of Muffendorf (10th century), Vilich (11th century), and Schwarz Rheindorf (12th century). The former Electoral Palace (now the Rhenish Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Bonn [founded in 1786]) and the Poppelsdorf Palace, with its botanical gardens, along with the city’s beautiful avenues and parks are reminders of the electoral and archiepiscopal capital. Recreational areas include the forests of Venusberg, Kreuzberg, Kottenforst, and Ennert on the southern and western fringes of the city.)