Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn
As a former German capital for four decades, Bonn has retained a number of cultural monuments, which today can be seen in a relaxed urban setting, such as prevails in Bonn.
Emblematic among office buildings is the Villa Hammerschmidt, which is known to the unification of Germany as the residence of the Federal President of the country from 1950 onwards. And today, by 1994, Villa Hammerschmidt is one of the seats of the federal president. The other is the palace Bellevue Castle.
Villa Hammerschmidt is strikingly like the White House in Washington and so many call it the same way - the White House in Bonn. It is located on the north bank of the Rhine, close to the palace Schaumburg.
In the mid 19th century the coast of Bonn was known as - Rhine Riviera. Many notable buildings with wonderful views of the river valley and surrounding hills were built during this century, including Villa Hammerschmidt.
In 1862-1863 Albrecht Troost trader assigns raising the lovely villa construction to master August Dieckhoff. In 1867, King Leopold, known as the "Sugar King", purchased the property and ordered the architect Otto Penner to rebuild the Villa Hammerschmidt in the classic style. In 1878 it was finally built with a 5-hectare beautiful park surrounding the villa.
King Leopold did not save any money and wanted every detail to demonstrate the luxury, comfort and refinement. An example is the glass dome of which was between the years of 1899 – 1928. Villa Hammerschmidt was owned by the dealer - Rudolph Hammerschmidt, who developed a successful trade in cotton and eventually gave the name of the residence.
Between 1928 - 1945 Villa Hammerschmidt was sold at auction and "disintegration" of several separate apartments. In 1945 - 1949 the residence became part of the British occupation forces in Germany after World War II. Since 1950 it was owned by the German State.
Today Villa Hammerschmidt is bordered by the River Rhine in the north and is located opposite the Zoological Museum in the south. On the upper floor houses a private apartment of the German president, while the ground floor is open to the public and is used for ceremonial purposes.
In 1949 Hermann Mattern was asked to join the beautiful gardens of Villa Hammerschmidt together with those of the Schaumburg castle in a single spacious and beautiful park. Engineers had designed a truly spectacular park, consisting of greenery and large areas from which beautiful views of the Rhine are offered.
A walk in the park of Villa Hammerschmidt is a genuine pleasure, offering beautiful sculptures of saints, which are everywhere.
