HOTEL BEETHOVEN
The City of Bonn has gone through continual and very visible changes over the last two decades since German reunification as it assumed a new profile, role and international position. After the initial shock of being orphaned by federal politics, whole quarters were opened up, converted, redeveloped and brought to life. This has been an ongoing process, noticed by the general public only when the media highlighted the major building projects.
The process of urban transformation is already far advanced. The debate about Bonn 's role flares up again every time another federal authority is considered for the move to Berlin , but a deeper change has already taken place that goes well beyond the thousands of packing cases awaiting transportation.
Soon to be demolished, Hotel Beethoven is one of the last relics of an era that ended abruptly when the Wall came down. Its "charm" lies in an architecture that is parochial and functional rather than representational and prestigious. The building is an archetype which tells us about the character of the " Bonn Republic ". The understatement in its design reflects the spirit that drove Bonn 's modernization in the 1960s and 70s. The actual historical relevance that we can now ascribe to such unimposing buildings used to be – in many ways deliberately – hidden.
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