Germany Begins Move to New Capital
The German government began the long-awaited move from its provisional postwar capital of Bonn to its new home in Berlin on Saturday as the first Cabinet minister and his team made the 380-mile journey eastward.
Construction Minister Franz Muentefering, who is also in charge of the move, led the way to Berlin.
By the end of the summer, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s government, the 669-member Parliament and 15 ministries will have moved from the Rhine River town of Bonn to Berlin.
A total of 153 foreign embassies and thousands of lobbyists, journalists and others with business linked to the government will join the mass migration this summer.
About 8,000 government officials, parliament members and civil servants will follow Muentefering in July and August. About 10,000 civil servants will remain in Bonn, where six of the 15 ministries are to keep the bulk of their offices.
The decision to move from Bonn has been dogged by controversy. Critics argued against the $10.7-billion relocation and hinted that a Germany governed from Berlin may revive ghosts of the past.
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