Perhaps you’ve wondered how Buschdorf got its start. This part of Bonn has a long and interesting history. Buschdorf is a district on Bonn’s northern edge with about 4,900 residents.
Let’s start our journey back in time. Farming started here in Buschdorf during the second century. The Romans were the first farmers in the area. Later, a castle was built to guard the Bonn-Aachen trade route. This was an important road for commerce.
Buschdorf was first mentioned in a document from 1217. The small farming village grew slowly. It had fewer than 100 people at the start of the 1800s. In 1816, Buschdorf became part of the Oedekoven district.
The Rheinuferbahn railway arrived in 1906. This made Buschdorf an appealing place for commuters. They could easily travel to Bonn and Cologne for work. The population tripled to around 650 by 1960.
During the 1960s and 1970s, new housing areas and an industrial zone were built. Buschdorf became more connected to Bonn. Buschdorf was officially incorporated into Bonn on August 1 1969. It became part of the Bonn city district. But the Buschdorf area has kept its original borders.
Buschdorf has some interesting landmarks. The geographical center is at the corner of Buschdorfer Straße and Otto-Hahn-Straße. Here, you’ll spot a brick building. It was once a farm owned by the Bursch family. A stone cross stood nearby. It was taken down for restoration in 2007 but was put back up in 2009. The Frings-Watterott family owns it now.
You can also see the old Burg Buschdorf. It is a knight’s seat at Buschdorfer Straße 1. Its history goes back to the 10th century. It was built to protect the trade route from Bonn to Aachen.
The neo-Gothic Aegidiuskapelle is on Friedlandstraße’s western end. Vincenz Statz designed it in 1869. The Aegidius Church is also nearby. Near it is a copy of a Matronenstein stone. The original is in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum.
Since 1987, a Roman sarcophagus has been in the Buschdorf cemetery on Otto-Hahn-Straße. An information sign says it dates back to the end of the 2nd century. It was found on Dellweg in July 1984.
At the corner of Kölnstraße and Engländerweg, there’s a Prussian milestone. It is also known as the Adlerstein. An earlier marker from the French period marked the border. It was between the Département de Rhin-et-Moselle and the Département de la Roer. The milestone indicates that it is three Prussian miles to Coeln. A Prussian mile equals 7,532.5 meters.
On the corner of Kölnstraße and Friedlandstraße, an iron frame marks point A. It is the base point from 1847. This was used for the Rhenish triangle network.
Many people have shaped Buschdorf over the years. Mathematician Joachim Hartung lived here for a time. Boxer Adolf Heuser was also from Buschdorf.
Buschdorf keeps growing with new houses and people. In 2013, the “Zukunftswerkstatt Buschdorf” citizens’ group was formed. It is an initiative to help shape the area’s future. In 2023, the council approved the integrated development concept. This concept will guide the area’s progress.
So, as we conclude our visit to Buschdorf remember its journey. From Roman farms to a modern Bonn suburb, Buschdorf continues to evolve. Its rich past shapes its future.