A series of pictures and factoids for Create's NaJoPoMo Challenge.

First off: It's really called the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität. The University of Bonn was founded in 1818. It's a great research university, with many notable alumni: Konrad Adenauer, Frederick III, an emperor, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx…

Oh, and Joseph Goebbels. You can't win them all.

The university has lots of buildings, of course. But the main structure, pictured here, is the former official residence of the Elector of Cologne¹. As such, it is a sprawling 17th-18th-century palace, with lots of baroque architecture going on. The thing's so long, it has an archway at one end, with a road going under it. It's pretty awesome to sit and have your coffee in the Erfrischungsraum, knowing that generations of bureaucrats in wigs used to swan around here.

The gigantic statue of the Archangel Michael in the hallway makes waiting for class to start a transcendental experience. But mostly, I thought about Beethoven.

Beethoven's grandfather was the Kapellmeister at Bonn, and his dad (not a nice person, by all accounts) was a professional tenor there, so Ludwig grew up running around this Schloss. He probably had piano lessons there.

I gather he didn't enjoy them, which was a total shame. He deserved the best, and he didn't get it. I've been in the house where he was born. It's over on the other side of the little marketplace where I used to buy fruit and veg. Not far from the Woolworth's. I suppose he could have lived over the Woolworth's, but they have some respect for the greatest musician in history (my humble opinion).

Beethoven's teacher was the organist at the chapel, which is also in the university building. Beethoven's first three piano sonatas were dedicated to the Kurfürst, or Elector. So: knee breeches, sucking up to Authority, and being awed by baroque architecture were part of Beethoven's early life. No wonder her liked Napoleon – until he 'elected' himself emperor.

Anyway, it's all terribly atmospheric, is this building, and if you're ever in the neighbourhood, drop in. Get a student to buy you a cup of coffee. If the E-Raum is still there, it's in the lower left-hand corner of the picture. Just say Dmitri Gheorgheni sent you.

And hum a few bars of An die Freude.