Bonn

bonn, a university town of western Prussia. It is pleasantly situated on the west shore of the Rhine about twenty miles above Cologne. Bonn had in 1905 81,996 inhabitants. It is the site of an old Roman fortification, and derives not a little historical importance from having been the seat of the electors of Cologne. During the Middle Ages Bonn suffered a number of destructive sieges. The old walls were leveled in 1717, and the moat was filled up to make way for boulevards. The city hall and the market are characteristic. The chief interest of the city centers in the university. In enrollment Bonn ranks fourth in the empire. The principal building is a former palace of the elector. The library contains about 275,000 volumes and many valuable manuscripts. There is a valuable museum of Roman antiquities. Albert, the prince consort of Queen Victoria, was educated here. In his day it was the resort of the young protestant princes of all Germany. Many Americans studied at Bonn. Among the noted professors Niebuhr and Schlegel are named. A statue of Beethoven, who was born here, stands in a public place.