From Groundbreaking to Constitution

The founding stone for the present museum building was laid in 1912.

Due to the turmoil of the First World War and the subsequent political and economical problems the final museum could not be opened until 1934. In 1929 Alexander Koenig transferred his museum and property to the Prussian government that administered the Rhineland at that time.

Soon after the inauguration of the museum the first curators were hired who began to systematically arrange and increase the scientific collections which are famous today.

After the Second World War the large exhibition hall of the museum with its beautiful glass roof was the only sufficiently large and representative assembly room available in Bonn.

This was the reason why the opening session of the Parliamentary Council was held there on September 1, 1948. This Council developed the new Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany which was officially promulgated on May 23, 1949.

Our museum is therefore proud to be known as the birthplace of the Federal Republic of Germany.