The Romans were among the first to call Bornheim home. As they did in their other homes, there are still many Roman traces left to be seen today. The most notable is the remnants of an aqueduct from Cologne to Eifel.
The Teutonic Knights also have a strong presence here, particularly the renowned Paul von Rusdorf. This Grand Master of Knights played an instrumental role in negotiating the peace of the little-remembered Gollub War between the Teutonics and Poland and Lithuania. The Teutonics are better remembered for building defensive castles in the area.
In more recent times, Bornheim in the Rhineland has been the home of the celebrated Heinrich Theodor Böll. Böll won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1972. He was a staunch anti-Nazi but ironically became a prisoner of war after the Allies took control of the area in 1945.
His books spoke about the dangers of authoritarianism. Böll was severely affected by the Nazi regime and the destructiveness of war. After seeing so much violence during his life, he now rests in peace in a Bornheim cemetery.
These days, happily there is more peace than war in Bornheim. The city is a thriving sports center and many famous athletes now have homes here. Christian Knees, a Tour de France contestant and Célia Okoyino there Mbabi, a soccer player both have ties here today.
But you don’t have to be a famous sportsman to take advantage of the town’s sports culture. The nature-culture path gives visitors a way to explore the natural wooded surroundings of Bornheim. It is also one of the cities which borders the Rhineland nature park, a 650 square mile protected area of natural forest and park.
For more relaxing fun, take a dip in Bornheim’s open-air swimming pool resort. There’s a baby swimming pool for the young ones and a sauna for adults. It’s a place for the whole family to get together and unwind. :-)
