Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia

Bonn is about 10 miles south of Cologne. It was the capital of West Germany from 1949 until German reunification in 1991; until then, the sleepy provincial town was mostly known as Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace. The Bonn Capitals are based out of here. The 2001 European Championship was held here. Olaf Dreesen, Mirko Heid and Maximilian Schmitz-Stercken were born here. Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Gymnasium is here.