Does this low-rise building strike you as particularly remarkable? This is the Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus. It once served as the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. It stood here in Bonn.
From 1975 to 1999, this was the place where important political decisions were made. The Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus is named after Erich Ollenhauer. He was the second post-war chairman of the SPD.
Before this building stood here, there was something else. It was a barrack-like structure. It housed 86 rooms and the editorial office of the “Neuer Vorwärts”. People called it simply “the barracks”. The SPD only leased the land. This showed their will to quickly move the government to Berlin.
In 1974, the old building was dismantled. Parts of it were rebuilt near Travemünde. They became part of a holiday home for a workers welfare association.
The new Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus was designed by architects Fritz Novotny and Arthur Mähner. They aimed for a down-to-earth design. It should reflect the SPD’s values. They wanted to preserve the ambience of the “barracks”.
The building’s layout was meant to embody the SPD’s attitude toward governance. The ground floor was for the executive arm. The second floor housed departments for organizational matters, youth work, and international relations.
Willy Brandt inaugurated the new building on October 3, 1975. He was the chairman of the SPD at the time. The building became known as “the barracks”. This name stuck, even for the new structure.
In July 1999, the SPD moved its headquarters to Berlin. This was after the parliament and government moved. The new headquarters was in the Willy-Brandt-Haus.
Gerhard Schröder symbolically closed the doors of the Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus. He left a poster for the citizens of Bonn. It quoted Theodor Fontane. It also included a gingerbread heart. The quote read: “Words of farewell should be as brief as declarations of love.” The gingerbread heart said: “See ya, Bonn.”
Schröder had famously declared “This is the end of an era”. He said this at the victory celebration in 1998. He referred to the end of Helmut Kohl’s tenure.
After the SPD moved, Deutsche Telekom rented the Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus. Later, Vapiano AG opened a restaurant here. Today, other companies use the building as well.
The Erich-Ollenhauer-Haus is a stop on the “Way of Democracy” history trail. It stands as a reminder of Bonn’s time as the capital. It also symbolizes the SPD’s history. It contrasts with the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus across the street. The Konrad-Adenauer-Haus was spectacularly demolished in 2004.