This grand building before you is the Rathaus Kronberg. It wasn’t always a town hall though. Its story begins much earlier as a private residence.
In 1901 a wealthy Frankfurt banker Wilhelm Bonn decided to build a magnificent villa. He and his family already had a summer home on this land since 1864. Wilhelm’s parents Baruch and Betty Bonn were influential Jewish bankers. They had expanded the property into a stately summer residence. Baruch Bonn even helped build the railway line that connected Kronberg. The Bonn family were generous philanthropists supporting various local charities.
The villa itself a masterpiece of Historicism with Art Nouveau touches was designed by the Hamburg architect Alfred Löwengard. A beautiful English-style park surrounded the impressive home. After Wilhelm Bonn’s death his children sold the villa to the city of Kronberg in 1922. The price 750000 Marks was remarkably low considering the inflation of that time.
The city transformed the impressive villa into its new town hall. The grand reception hall became the city council chamber. The former dining room now serves as the mayor’s office. The old kitchen is the mayor’s anteroom. The adjacent outbuildings served various purposes over time. They included a vocational school a prison a public bathhouse a registry office and even a Red Cross station. The first city council meeting in the new Rathaus took place on July 10 1922.
Wilhelm Bonn continued his parents’ tradition of social responsibility. In 1890 he and his brothers founded a charitable foundation. This foundation created a home for the elderly poor and infirm. For their philanthropy Wilhelm and his brothers were awarded honorary citizenship of Kronberg. A street is named after him today. Sadly during the Nazi era the foundation’s home was used by the local Nazi party. The Bonns’ honors were revoked and Emma Bonn a daughter of Wilhelm was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. She was murdered there in 1942.
The Rathaus Kronberg stands as a testament to a family’s legacy. It represents both their generosity and the dark shadow of the Nazi period. It’s a building that reflects Kronberg’s rich history a blend of opulence philanthropy and tragedy. Now I invite you to admire this magnificent landmark.