(Published in November 2024)

I have been part of international communities for the last 30 years, in places as different as New York, Vientiane or Kabul. Now I am back in my home country, and in a city I lived in before. That makes me feeI a bit both ways, local and international. I feel this is a bonus: I can afford to have two different perspectives on the same place, and can relate to both: fellow city dwellers who have been here for a long time, or throughout their lifetime, and international citizens who see Germany and Bonn as a passage along the journey of their life. 

There is something like “reverse culture shock” when coming home after a long time. The current state of public infrastructures and the lament about economic decline in Germany certainly are. But there are also many positive surprises. Overall, I have the impression that Germans have become more open and friendly, among themselves and with others. This might be thanks to our collective Corona pandemic experience. That can only be good. I have nowadays more chatter and banter in my day-to-day encounters than I remember from the past.  

Or is it rather that I learned something along the way of my international life? -- That there is nothing wrong with being more outgoing and friendly for a German, and that this is usually reciprocated happily? That is food for personal thought, now that I wrote it down. It would give some evidence to the truism that travel widens the horizon – Reisen bildet, as we would say in German. An important experience I hope others, particularly young people in my home country, will also be able to make.  

What strikes me is that Bonn has become an increasingly international city since I was here for the first time. Bonn has expanded significantly as a UN host city, and Germany’s involvement in international development still has a strong presence here in the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and in GIZ and other organisations. Add the amazing internationalisation of academia and research in the region, and the presence of private sector companies in the global player league. These actors increasingly contribute to Bonn’s international profile, and this has become part - still with room for more - of the city’s development strategy and communications.  

My mission as Head of the Regional Representation of the European Commission is to contribute to Bonn’s status and image as a European city also. From Bonn, the Regional Representation covers four states in the German federal system: North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and the Saar region. In other words: roughly one third of Germany’s population, also one third of its GDP.  The economic pulse in this region, as diverse as it is, the creativity of the people and their commitment often provide impetus for the EU. Our mandate is to share information and raise awareness about the EU institutions among the general public and with specific audiences. Our shared goal in the small team of the Representation is to make the EU institutions more tangible and understandable for the EU citizens we serve. In our day-to-day work, the dialogue with the citizens and especially the young generation is particularly close to our heart. We work to promote European exchange, strengthen trust in the EU and clear up misunderstandings and prejudices where necessary. This is not just about sharing information, but also about listening and reflecting together with the different stakeholders we meet. 

We go to and organise events in all four states we cover, but a core part of our profile is to welcome visitors for seminars and events in Bonn with our cooperation partner Europa-Punkt. What we offer is mainly in German, but we are of course open to the international community and welcome exchange and feedback. I see also potential for closer cooperation with some of the international organisations present in the region. Anyone in the international community is invited to take a closer look at what we do and to link up with us (see below). 

After cities of glass, of spirits, of djinns, of shadows, it is now the city of joy for me. That is what Bonn has in its motto (Freude-Joy-Joie), playing with two national icons: Schiller’s Ode to Joy and its intonation in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. And joy it is. Bonn and the wider region have a lot to offer, and the international community is often a good source of information of what is going on. I look forward to many more encounters, local and international, in this beautiful place.

Dr. Stefan Lock is since April 2024 Head of the Regional Representation of the European Commission, which has its office at Bundeskanzlerplatz 2d in Bonn. 

Further information can be found at  Regionalvertretung und Europa-Punkt in Bonn - Europäische Kommissio (opens in a new tab)n. The Representation also circulates a bi-weekly newsletter with upcoming events.