Berlin-Bonn Act

The Berlin/Bonn Act (German: Berlin/Bonn-Gesetz) regulated the move of the Bundestag and parts of the government of Germany from Bonn to Berlin. It also decided where certain Federal agencies and other German federal facilities would go. This act happened because of the Hauptstadtbeschluss (English: Enactment regarding the capital) made on 20 June 1991, which chose Berlin as the seat of government. Berlin had already been named the capital of united Germany when the Unification Treaty was signed on 3 October 1990.

The Berlin/Bonn Act was officially passed on 26 April 1994. Its full title is Act for the implementation of the enactment of the German Bundestag of 20 June 1991 for the completion of the German unity. The act decided which federal ministries would move to Berlin and made promises to keep Bonn important for politics. It also gave Bonn the special title of the Federal City.

The changes happened step by step. The biggest move was in 1999, when the Bundestag moved to the Reichstag building in Berlin. At the same time, the Federal Court of Auditors and the Federal Cartel Office moved from Berlin and the Rhine-Main area to Bonn. Finally, the Bundesrat moved to Berlin in 2000.

Federal agencies that moved

Some important German government offices moved from cities like Berlin and Frankfurt am Main to Bonn after the decision to make Berlin the capital again. Examples include the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, the Federal Cartel Office, and the Federal Audit Office.

New offices were also set up in Bonn, such as the Central office of the Federal Railway Authority. Some agencies, like the Federal Office for Geosciences and Raw Materials, kept offices in both Bonn and another city.

Compensation agreement

The Berlin/Bonn Act also led to an agreement to help the Bonn area. On June 29, 1994, they made a plan called the "Agreement regarding the compensation measures for the Bonn region." This plan set aside 1.437 billion Euros to be used between 1995 and 2004. The money helped fund many projects, including starting the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.

Developments in the 2010s and 2020s

By the end of 2015, about 37 percent of federal government positions were in Bonn, leading some to believe this did not follow the Berlin-Bonn Act. Moving between Bonn and Berlin cost money and created environmental concerns due to frequent travel.

In 2019, Bonn and nearby areas proposed a new agreement to strengthen Bonn’s role as a government and international cooperation center. Discussions continued, but were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, there were differing opinions on whether to keep government offices in both cities or move them all to Berlin. Some argued that keeping offices in both places would be more cost-effective and practical.