Did you know that Villa Mönkemöller began its life with a different name? It was once called Villa Maria. Today we will explore Villa Mönkemöller. This palais-like villa stands in Bonn’s Dottendorf district. It was built in 1904. The villa sits at the edge of the forest on the slopes of Venusberg.
Friedrich Paul Mönkemöller commissioned the villa. He owned the Bonner Maschinenfabrik und Eisengiesserei Fr. Mönkemöller & Cie. Heinrich Krämer designed it. Mönkemöller named it Villa Maria after the street it was on. Back then the street was called Marienstraße.
From 1909 to 1912, a nerve doctor named Hans Kurella lived here. Mönkemöller himself lived temporarily in Bonn’s Gronau district. After Mönkemöller died in 1935, his family owned the property. Later it changed hands.
In 1973, Villa Mönkemöller became important on an international stage. It housed the Trade Representation of Bulgaria. Bulgaria had previously been in Frankfurt am Main. Later in 1973, it became the Bulgarian Embassy. This made the Villa Mönkemöller the first Bulgarian Embassy in Germany. The embassy later moved to a new building in Bad Godesberg in the late 1970s.
After the Bulgarian Embassy left, the villa was divided into apartments. In 1984, the city of Bonn protected Villa Mönkemöller as a historic monument.
In 1986, a construction company from Kerpen bought the villa. However, they could not sell the apartments. From 1988, the Villa Mönkemöller served as offices for the Bundeswehr-Sozialwerk. They stayed there until 1998.
In 1999, Villa Mönkemöller was sold to a private owner. It was converted back into a residence. The goal was to restore it to its original condition. A new elevator was installed that went up to the sixth floor.
The Villa Mönkemöller has up to six floors. Its design reflects the historicism style. This includes Fachwerk elements and loggias. Inside, you can find terrazzo floors and stucco borders. Outside, there are stucco rosettes.
The library has a beautiful ceiling. It features stucco in brown tones with painted grain. You can also see square animal pictures and still lifes in the corners.
On the corner facing the former Mönkemöller factory, there are two terracotta statues. They represent iron founders. These statues stand on consoles.
Villa Mönkemöller stands as a reminder of Bonn’s industrial past. It also reflects its diplomatic history. From a family home to an embassy, it has seen many changes. Today it is a protected monument. It reminds us of the architectural styles of the early 20th century.