‘Too Beautiful’: an exhibition about the English view of the Rhine

‘Too Beautiful’: an exhibition about the English view of the Rhine

by | Jan, 2025 | Bonn Sights, EN, exhibitions, museums, Rhine region

Lord Byron would have turned 200 in 2024. The Siebengebirgsmuseum Königswinter has taken this date as the occasion for an exhibition. Entitled ‘Too Beautiful – The English View of the Rhine’, it illustrates the beginnings and heyday of British Rhine tourism in the 19th century (until 9 March 2025). The importance of Byron in this context can hardly be overestimated. As a scandal-ridden influencer and pop star – at a time when these terms were not yet known – he shaped the behaviour and literary work of many intellectuals and some members of the English upper class. His poetry, ‘Childe Harold’, which, among other things, deals with the experiences of his 1816 trip to the Rhine, promoted the ‘romantic’ Middle Rhine Valley and, not least, the Drachenfels as attractive travel destinations. Added to this was the fact that after a 20-year interruption, travel on the continent was once again possible for the English with the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The Rhine Valley, which had been no more than a stopover on the ‘Grand Tour’ of 18th-century aristocrats on their way to Italy, now gained its own significance as a tourist attraction. The occasional trips of idle rich people and curious artists turned into a wave that soon brought many more affluent middle-class families to Bonn, the Siebengebirge, the Lorelei and the castle ruins of the Middle Rhine Valley – and from 1828, they could also travel by steamboat.

The small but exquisite exhibition at the Siebengebirgsmuseum focuses on the views with which British artists – led by William Turner and Clarkson Stanfield – fuelled the fashionable enthusiasm for the Rhine. It also includes caricatures that poke fun at the excesses of Rhine travel as it developed into a mass phenomenon. Obviously, even back then, there was something like ‘overtourism’ in the eyes of contemporaries. It is also interesting to see that most of the views were not so much the work of artistic self-realisation as commissioned works for publishers. They made money – even for those who did not have the time and means to travel to the Rhine. Enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and the romanticism of ruins could also be served in this way.

The publication accompanying the exhibition is more of a companion book than a catalogue. In 22 short articles by various authors, British travellers and artists are introduced and associated with their places of longing. This provides a picture of the developing tourist infrastructure and travel habits. Finally, it also becomes clear how the ‘celebrity factor’ kept the Rhine in the news. One section of the exhibition is dedicated to Queen Victoria’s journey along the Rhine – the title of the exhibition is a quote from her travel diary – and another is dedicated to the English crown prince’s stay in Königswinter in 1857; theoretically incognito, but in reality a public sensation of the first order.

Even if Bonn cannot be the focus of the exhibition, its role is clear enough. While the early travellers to the Rhine generally took Cologne as their starting point, this changed in the 1840s at the latest. That was when Bonn got its own railway connection. Furthermore, travellers’ reports gave Cologne an image problem: the city appeared to be interchangeable with other big cities, it didn’t smell good, it didn’t have a Rhine promenade, and the cathedral was (still) a ruin. Besides, the trip on the river from Cologne to Bonn was not attractive, as could now be read in travel guides. So you might as well board the Rhine steamer in Bonn. The city seized this opportunity: in the 1850s, the Rhine promenade was built and large hotels sprang up. One article in the accompanying book is dedicated to the ‘English colony’ that developed in Bonn in the 19th century. It certainly owed its existence not least to the university, but also to Rhine tourism and the associated boost in the city’s image.

A look back at the heyday of Rhine travel in the 19th century also evokes feelings of nostalgia. In my childhood around 1960, there were hardly any English tourists left, but the start of the shipping season on the Rhine was still a big deal. Every year on Holy Thursday, a brass band played at the ‘Köln-Düsseldorfer’ landing dock, and hundreds more stood on the banks to celebrate the occasion. A trip on the Rhine was often enough, what the flight to Mallorca would later become: the annual holiday. That’s how my parents’ honeymoon went from Bonn to Bacharach. And the Drachenfels (Dragon Rock) didn’t get its nickname ‘The highest mountain in Holland’ for nothing. All that happened a long time ago, but the Middle Rhine Valley and the Siebengebirge are still worth a visit.

On display at the Siebengebirgsmuseum, Kellerstraße 16, Königswinter, until 9 March:

From cement factory to innovative meeting place: the Bonner Bogen

From cement factory to innovative meeting place: the Bonner Bogen

by | Jan, 2025 | architecture, EN, points of interest, Rhine region

I remember well the cement factory, which was vacant in the 1990s (we called it the ‘ghost house’), which we had to go around on the bike path to Königswinter. Today, here – on the sunny side of Bonn – it is a very popular meeting place at the weekend. Cyclists take a break here, families use the lawns and play ground, and pubs and restaurants entice you with food and drink.

The history of the Portland cement factory ended in the 1980s. Then began a long and varied process of planning, tendering and competitions to determine what could be built there.

Rhine promenade

Rhine promenade with Portland Cement building in view

Finally, an outstanding example of the transformation of an industrial site was created – and is still being expanded – on a beautiful new Rhine promenade. Innovative architecture, sustainable urban planning and an attractive mix of uses blend well with the converted cement factory, a water tower and the former director’s villa.

Planning and conception

Planning for the Bonner Bogen began in the early 2000s and was overseen by renowned architects and urban planners such as Karl-Heinz Schommer. The master plan envisaged a mix of uses, including office space, hotels, restaurants and residential accommodation. A key element was the integration of the site into its natural surroundings, in particular by taking advantage of its proximity to the Rhine and orienting the buildings towards the river. The architectural design emphasised modernity and high-quality materials, while historical elements, such as the heritage-listed water tower, were preserved and integrated into the new buildings.

Former Portland cement factory

Sculpture “Mother Earth” by American artist Barton Rubenstein, in front of the restaurant Rohmühle

Particular attention was paid to ecological sustainability. The buildings were constructed according to modern environmental standards, with a focus on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.

Implementation and establishment

The construction phase began in 2004 and was realised in several stages. One of the first and most well-known buildings is the Kameha Grand Hotel, which opened in 2009. With its ​architecture​ and special interior design, it has become an emblem of the Bonner Bogen. It attracts not only tourists, but also companies for events and conferences.

 

Kameha Grand Hotel

“Ei” by Marcel Wanders, in front of Kameha Hotel

Numerous office spaces were built next to the hotel, which are used primarily by companies in the technology, science and consulting sectors. The combination of modern workplaces, high-quality gastronomy and recreational spaces such as the Rhine Cycle Route makes the location a sought-after place for companies and employees.