Germany's parliament yesterday bade farewell to Bonn after half a century and swore in the veteran Social Democrat, Mr Johannes Rau, as the country's eighth post-war president. The government will return to its pre-war capital in Berlin after the summer break, with the 669-member Bundestag moving into a new chamber in the Reichstag.
The former chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, was among the speakers who paid tribute to Bonn, the quiet, university city on the Rhine that became the home of Germany's 50 most successful years as a democracy.
"Bonn has been the symbol of conspicuous modesty for Germany. It has been the embodiment of a Germany that forever turned away from the Nazi insanity, the imperialist longings and any desire for domination," he said.
The former chancellor, who was one of the most powerful supporters of the government's move to Berlin, dismissed fears that the change of capital would provoke a revival of the Prussian, imperialist spirit.
He insisted that, although Germany's government was leaving Bonn, it would retain the gentle, democratic atmosphere of its temporary home.
"Germany and the world are not the same as 50 years ago. War and peace have changed us all. But it is wrong to look at this as the end of an episode. It is wrong to say we are going to become a `Berlin Republic'. We are not headed into a new republic," he said.
In his inaugural speech, Mr Rau, who is only the second Social Democrat to become president, praised his predecessor, Mr Roman Herzog, for his humour and sensitivity. He promised that his presidency would be forward-looking and conscious of its responsibility towards future generations.
"We have to think about the impact that political decisions we make have on future generations. Sometimes there is an egoism in politics about the future that I find intolerable," he said.
Identifying the fight against unemployment as the most important task facing legislators when they move to Berlin, the new president urged Germans to grasp the opportunities offered by globalisation, while remaining aware of its dangers.
"Globalisation offers great opportunities for Germany and the whole world, if we understand it and implement it correctly," he said.
Officials have already begun the mammoth task of moving the government to Berlin, employing 70 removal firms to transport everything from paper clips to vintage wines. In keeping with the centre-left government's commitment to protect the environment, 80 per cent of the goods being moved will go to Berlin by rail.
