Why Germany’s capital moved from Bonn to Berlin

Bonn, for the time being

In autumn 1949 the first Bundestag of West Germany confirmed the Parliamentary Council’s decision that Bonn would be the provisional seat of the federal bodies. It added that they should move to Berlin as soon as democratic elections had been held in all of Berlin and the Soviet zone.^[1]

For four decades West Germany and the Western powers officially regarded Berlin as the true German capital, and Bonn as a temporary solution.^[2]

Reunification reopens the question

With reunification the question split supporters of Bonn and Berlin across every party. To keep it from complicating the unity talks, Article 2 of the Unification Treaty made Berlin the capital of Germany but left the seat of parliament and government to be decided after unity.^[1] On 4 October 1990 the Bundestag met in Berlin’s Reichstag building for the first time after reunification, but parliament and government still worked in Bonn.^[2]

On 20 June 1991 the Bundestag in Bonn debated five motions for about twelve hours, with 107 speeches. Bonn’s supporters argued that Berlin was burdened by its history as capital of the German Reich and of East Germany, that Bonn stood for West Germany’s democratic success and federalism, and that a move would cost too much. Berlin’s supporters called it an essential step to real German unity.^[1]

Of the 660 votes cast, 320 went to the motion to stay in Bonn and 338 to the motion “Completion of German unity”, which moved parliament and government to Berlin.^[1] Berlin won by 18 votes.^[2]

“The decision for Berlin would be a step toward the realization of political, social, and human unity of Germany that could not be replaced by anything”^[2]

Two seats of government

The Berlin/Bonn Act of 10 March 1994 set out a “fair division of labour”: every ministry would have an office in both cities, and most ministry jobs were to stay in Bonn, now called the Federal City.^[1] The Reichstag was rebuilt with a new dome designed by Norman Foster, after the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the building in fabric in June and July 1995.^[2]

The Bundestag moved to Berlin in summer 1999, along with the Chancellery, the press office and seven ministries, and the Bundesrat followed in summer 2000.^[1] Jobs have drifted to Berlin since: in 2000 there were 10,470 ministry posts in Bonn and 6,756 in Berlin, but by 2019 there were 15,400 in Berlin and 6,750 in Bonn. In 2021 six of the fourteen federal ministries still had their main seat in Bonn, and politicians argued over whether the rest should move too.^[1]