Programme of side events for the 13th International Metropolis Conference
Monday, 27.10.2008
Rhine river trip to Linz on the MS Beethoven
Departure at 11:00 from the Rhine promenade
The MS Beethoven will depart at 11:00 from the Rhine promenade directly opposite the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) and travel up the river on a two-hour trip to Linz. During the voyage there will be a commentary to inform guests about the many places of interest along the banks of the Rhine.
The MS Beethoven has seats for 120 passengers on top deck and for 160 guests on the main deck below. Food and drinks are available in the ship's restaurant.
On arrival in Linz, the guests will have a two-hour stay in the historic Old Town. There will be time to explore this "Colourful Town on the Rhine". Burg Linz, a restored medieval castle with dungeons and a torture chamber, is a particular attraction and has several restaurants. The boat arrives back in Bonn at around 17:00.
Evening reception given by City of Bonn at the Deutsche Welle
Start: 19:00
For the official opening, the participants will be welcomed to the 13th International Metropolis Conference by the Mayor of Bonn as her guests at a reception in the foyer of the Deutsche Welle building. Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse 3, 53113 Bonn (6 minutes on foot from the World Conference Center Bonn)
Tuesday, 28.10.2008
Evening event in the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB)
"Meeting Beethoven"
19:00: Reception with finger buffet
20:30: "Meeting Beethoven"
Local actors and musicians from Bonn have prepared an evening show specially for the Metropolis Conference. In a performance lasting around an hour, musical offerings will be combined with scenes acted out from the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. The evening's entertainment will be stage in the circle of the plenary chamber at the WCCB with alternating performances by the musicians and the actors dressed in historical costumes from Beethoven's time.
After the performance, the actors will mingle with the audience, and guests will have an opportunity to be photographed together with the players in their costumes, including the great man himself.
Drinks will not be complimentary for guests on this evening.
Wednesday, 29.10.2008
Guided tours through selected museums in Bonn
18:30 from Meetingpoint WCCB
Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
House of the History of the FRG
The "Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" was established to present the history of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR as a permanent exhibition. Another mission of this "house of history" is to build up an historical collection to document the issues concerning this part of German history.
The idea behind the exhibition is to encourage visitors to engage openly with recent German history and to stimulate a lively discussion of the past. It contains a wealth of fascinating original artefacts - documents, photographs and objects – that bring history to life. The presentational structure is chronological, combining political, economic and social history and also showing important artistic and cultural trends as well as people's everyday living conditions.
Beethoven-Haus
Beethoven's Birth Place
One of the most famous people to hail from Bonn is, of course, Ludwig van Beethoven. His birthplace in the city centre has become an important attraction for visitors from all over the world. It is the city's first address for visiting music lovers. The museum displays the world's largest Beethoven collection. His life and works are visualised by the impressive authentic documents on show.
The guided visit will last approx. two hours.
Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Art and Exhibition Hall of the FRG
Bonn's world-class art and exhibition centre, the "Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland", has been presenting a varied programme of major exhibitions since 1992. This large space, totalling 5,600 m², hosts changing exhibitions from the fields of art and cultural history as well as science and technology. During the Metropolis Conference, guests visiting the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle will be able to see the exhibition entitled "Rome and the Barbarians – Europe during the Migration Period".
Kunstmuseum Bonn
Bonn Artmuseum
As Bonn's city art gallery, the "Kunstmuseum Bonn" has a collection that started back in 1884 with works acquired at the Villa Obernier Museum. Today's modern gallery has a special place within Germany's museum scene. Only in Bonn can art lovers find such a large concentration of paintings that document the history of post-war German art. It is a wonderfully multi-layered repository of works, for which the museum architecture of Axel Schulte provides an ideal setting. The overall collection covers "Art from 1900 to tomorrow" with an implicit orientation on the future rather than the past. Individual focuses include the Rhenish Expressionism, West German art of the 1950s and, more strongly, German works from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and now increasingly the 1990s.
Visitors will be also offered a guided tour through a special exhibition of visual art and music by Jürgen Partenheimer and Kevin Volans entitled "DISCONTINUITY, PARADOX & PRECISION – THE PARTENHEIMER PROJECT".
Thursday, 30.10.2008
Closing Dinner on the Petersberg
Start shuttle busses at 19:00 from WCCB
The Metropolis Conference will conclude with a dinner at the invitation of the Ministry for Inter-Generation and Family Affairs, Women and Integration of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia and the Mercator Foundation at a very special location: Hotel Petersberg, some 10 km from Bonn, standing high above the Rhine and situated in Germany's oldest nature conservation park. From there, you will enjoy wonderful views along the Rhine valley.
Metropolis guests and staff are invited to come together in this exclusive ambiance and discuss the conference outcomes in a relaxed setting of good food and music. On initiative of the Mercator Foundation Ms Ratna Omidvar, President of The Maytree Foundation (Canada), will speak about "Foundations and Integration: More than Money!" The evening's musical accompaniment will be provided by members of the State Youth Orchestra.
The Hotel, which stands on the 330 metre-high Petersberg, has often hosted high-level international gatherings of historical importance. It was once (1945–52) the seat of the tripartite Allied High Commission, before being converted into the German government's "Federal Guesthouse" for official visitors. The many guests of state to have stayed here include Queen Elizabeth II, Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the Shah of Persia, King Bhumipol of Thailand, and the Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. In the 1980s the original 100-year-old hotel building was largely demolished and replaced by a modern structure. In 2001 the famous Afghanistan conference took place on the Petersberg.
The shuttle buses will leave at 19:00 from the Rhine side of the World Conference Center Bonn. The drive back to the WCCB in Bonn is then scheduled for 22:30.
