Bad Honnef
Encyclopedia
Bad Honnef is a spa town
in Germany
near Bonn
in the Rhein-Sieg
district, North Rhine-Westphalia
. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate
. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels
(“Dragons's Rock”) mountain, part of the Siebengebirge
.
-growing town to a spa town, adding the prefix Bad to its name. The mineral spring has been used for both drinking and bathing.
The villages of Aegidienberg
, Selhof and Rhöndorf are considered to be part of Bad Honnef. During his term as first chancellor of Germany
, Konrad Adenauer
lived (and died) in Bad Honnef, as it was near Bonn, then the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. Also, German politician and leader of the Free Democratic Party
Guido Westerwelle
was born in Bad Honnef.
Since 2004, the current mayor has been Wally Feiden, an SPD
politician. At the last local election, having taken place on 19 October 2008, she was confirmed in her office.
Since the 1980s Bad Honnef has developed into an important place for conferences in Germany. Because of the close proximity to the still internationally important Federal City of Bonn, many federal institutions are located in Bad Honnef. The President of Germany
resides there.
The headoffice of the Nationalpark Siebengebirge
project was also planned to be in Bad Honnef; however the project was doomed by a referendum on sept. 27, 2009.
Bad Honnef has the highest purchasing power of all towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
, its percentage of millionaires is also one of the highest.
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
near Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
in the Rhein-Sieg
Rhein-Sieg
The Rhein-Sieg-Kreis is a Kreis in the south of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Oberbergischer Kreis, Altenkirchen, Neuwied, Ahrweiler, Euskirchen, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, the urban district of Cologne...
district, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels
Drachenfels (Siebengebirge)
The Drachenfels is a mountain in the Siebengebirge mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name...
(“Dragons's Rock”) mountain, part of the Siebengebirge
Siebengebirge
The Siebengebirge is a German range of hills to the East of the Rhine, southeast of Bonn, consisting of more than 40 mountains and hills. It is located in the municipalities of Bad Honnef and Königswinter. It is of volcanic origin and came into being between 28 and 15 million years ago...
.
Overview
Bad Honnef is home to a mineral spring called the ("Dragon Spring") which was discovered in 1897. This discovery led to Honnef, as the town was called at the time, transforming from a wineGerman wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions ...
-growing town to a spa town, adding the prefix Bad to its name. The mineral spring has been used for both drinking and bathing.
The villages of Aegidienberg
Aegidienberg
Aegidienberg is a district of Bad Honnef in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis , in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located with its 13 villages east of the Siebengebirge in the foothills of the Niederwesterwald and is traversed by the A 3 . Until 1969, Aegidienberg was an independent municipality in the former...
, Selhof and Rhöndorf are considered to be part of Bad Honnef. During his term as first chancellor of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
lived (and died) in Bad Honnef, as it was near Bonn, then the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany. Also, German politician and leader of the Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle [] is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions...
was born in Bad Honnef.
Since 2004, the current mayor has been Wally Feiden, an SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
politician. At the last local election, having taken place on 19 October 2008, she was confirmed in her office.
Since the 1980s Bad Honnef has developed into an important place for conferences in Germany. Because of the close proximity to the still internationally important Federal City of Bonn, many federal institutions are located in Bad Honnef. The President of Germany
President of Germany
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
resides there.
The headoffice of the Nationalpark Siebengebirge
Siebengebirge
The Siebengebirge is a German range of hills to the East of the Rhine, southeast of Bonn, consisting of more than 40 mountains and hills. It is located in the municipalities of Bad Honnef and Königswinter. It is of volcanic origin and came into being between 28 and 15 million years ago...
project was also planned to be in Bad Honnef; however the project was doomed by a referendum on sept. 27, 2009.
Bad Honnef has the highest purchasing power of all towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, its percentage of millionaires is also one of the highest.