Godesburg

Godesburg occupies a prominent hill above Bonn and was probably first used by the Franks as a refuge stronghold. The hill was recorded in 722 as Woudensberg or Wotansberg, linked to the god Ubic and indicating a long history of ritual use. A Roman votive stone dated to about 200 CE and dedicated to Aesculapius and Hygia was found on the site in 1583; a replica has stood in the courtyard since 1981.

On 15 October 1210 Archbishop Dietrich I of Hengebach laid the fortress foundation stone; construction continued after his death in 1224 and successive archbishops extended the work. In 1244 Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden added the first five storeys of the principal keep, and later Archbishop Walram of Jülich raised the tower to its recorded height of 32 metres and ordered an outer bailey. Subsequent archbishops strengthened walls, enlarged moats and added a curtain wall.

During the Cologne War the Godesburg was besieged in 1583 by forces supporting the new Elector Ernst of Bavaria. Attackers blew a breach and brought the fortress under their control on 17 December 1583 after a mercenary entered through the latrine; the explosion and fighting left the castle largely ruined.

In 1891 Emperor Wilhelm II transferred the ruin to Bonn municipality. In 1959 the wreck was rebuilt to plans by Gottfried Böhm to house a hotel and restaurant; the restaurant still operates and the former hotel was later converted into apartments. A World War II air-raid shelter lies beneath the site. The city carried out major restoration work, with the principal tower renovated in 2006 and sanitary work completed between 2012 and early 2014; the restored tower now contains a small information centre. The nearby burial ground by the Michaels chapel contains ornate 19th-century bourgeois graves, including those of Herbert Wehner, Paul Kemp and Aennchen Schumacher.