Civic Festival of the Federal President — Open Day Villa Hammerschmidt

The Villa Hammerschmidt — Second Official Residence

The Villa Hammerschmidt on Adenauerallee is located on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn and is the second official residence of the Federal President — alongside Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Built in 1860, inhabited by the industrialist Hammerschmidt family, chosen as the representative seat of the Federal President in 1949, and maintained in this function ever since. Bonn is no longer the capital since 1990, but the federal gesture — the Federal President remains connected to the former capital with an official residence — is politically significant and is publicly celebrated annually.

The Civic Festival — A Political Statement

The Federal President's Civic Festival has been a tradition for decades: once a year, the incumbent invites citizens to one of his official residences — usually simultaneously in Berlin and Bonn. The concept: people engaged in volunteer work, social initiatives, and civic foundations are honored and made visible. In Bonn, the format is combined with an Open Day.

Hosts 2026

The organizers are the Federal President's Office, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the City of Bonn. This constellation is not accidental: after the federal government moved in 1999, Bonn has been developed into a UN location and seat of international development cooperation. Several UN agencies, the Secretariat of the Climate Convention (UNFCCC), the BMZ, and numerous NGOs shape the city's character today.

What's on the Program in 2026

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will welcome visitors on Saturday, September 5, 2026, between 12 PM and 7 PM. Admission is free, but there may be waiting times (security checks at the entrance). In the park of the Villa Hammerschmidt, Bonn will present itself as an international city with its UN and development partner organizations, complemented by stage programs and discussions. The exact detailed program will be published in the weeks before the event on bundespraesident.de and bonn.de.

Bonn as an International City

Anyone who sees Bonn only as the former federal capital misses the essential point: Bonn is now Germany's most important UN location. 19 UN organizations are based here, along with 150 other NGOs and foundations. The Civic Festival is one of the rare occasions when this international dimension of the city is showcased broadly. The Villa Hammerschmidt, with its park, Rhine view, and presidential splendor, offers the perfect backdrop for this.