History

Built on May 28, 1792, by Elector Max Franz as a late-Baroque spa and ballroom, the stately little palace "La Redoute"—nestled in the heart of the then-burgeoning spa town of Bad Godesberg—has a history marked by many changes: Theater, concert hall—the young Beethoven performed here for Joseph Haydn, who later taught him in Vienna—casino, art gallery, girls’ boarding school, private residence, and finally its transfer to the occupying forces in 1945.

Originally an English and later a Belgian officers' club, the Redoute serves as a popular social club with a bar, restaurant, and reading room, and continues to be used for this purpose by the Allied High Commission following the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany.

André François-Poncet, France’s High Commissioner and a cosmopolitan member of the Académie Française, assumes the presidency. He aims to overcome the tensions of the war years and guide the club back to a normal social life

Federal President Professor Dr. Theodor Heuss serves as patron, and Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer as honorary president. A General Committee and an Executive Committee oversee the diplomatic social club, each composed of an equal number of foreign diplomats and Germans. On the German side, the General Committee consists of five state secretaries, the head of the Office of the Federal President, the chief of protocol, and five senior officials from the Federal Foreign Office. The Executive Committee includes Ambassadors Guenther Diehl, von Herwarth, Dr. Glässing, and Dr. Soltmann. The club is run by a British gentleman, Mr. Hallum, in the style of an English social club, featuring a restaurant, bar, bridge games, tea parties, musical evenings, and youth dance parties. There are several rooms available for overnight stays in the upper floors of the Redoute.

From now on, an ambassador will serve as club president, and the executive committee will consist of an equal number of foreign nationals and Germans. The mayor and the chief of protocol are ex officio members of the executive committee. Professor Arntz will serve as chairman of the board; Count and Countess Dr. Dr. Georg Széchenyi will take over the secretariat and the operating company. (Link to former presidents) . The operating company leases the premises and runs the restaurant. The club’s program is expanded to include visits to art exhibitions, balls, concerts, and movie nights. Countess Rosy Széchenyi tirelessly oversees the numerous social events.

The name change is due to the incorporation of Bad Godesberg into Bonn. Due to extensive renovation work, the Redoute will be closed for three years, and the club will continue to hold its events as usual at the Rheinhotel Dreesen. The operating company (now renamed Redoute-Gästehaus-GmbH) is dissolved. From now on, the International Club rents the premises for events and its office at the Redoute from the tenants (since 2011, Von Borries & Partner Premiengastronomie https://vbp.eu/

The club celebrated its silver anniversary with, among other things, a speech by its then honorary president, Hans-Dietrich Genscher. The festive celebration, attended by 345 guests, was also attended by Federal President Walter Scheel and his wife, Mildred.

The anniversary will be celebrated in high-profile fashion in the presence of Federal President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker, with a commemorative address by Minister of State Schaefer (Foreign Office) and speeches by Mayor Dr. Daniels and Club President Ambassador of Luxembourg Dr. Adrien Meisch. The anniversary also marks a brilliant conclusion to the club’s 40-year history as a meeting place for diplomats and Germans in the federal capital of Bonn. As early as June 20, 1991, the Bundestag had designated Berlin as the new capital in the Berlin/Bonn Act and decided to relocate the federal institutions there.

The general meeting resolves to keep the club at its founding location in Bad Godesberg, even though the diplomatic corps, the parliament, and the majority of the associations—and thus many members—are relocating to Berlin.

At the ceremony held at Deutsche Telekom’s corporate headquarters, CEO Kai-Uwe Ricke welcomed former Federal President Professor Dr. Herzog, numerous distinguished guests, and 800 members with a witty speech on diplomacy and communication.

Angela Merkel, then still chairwoman of the CDU, was a guest at the International Club. Her topic was "Germany—Challenges and Opportunities"

Federal Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke at the club’s invitation on the topic of “Multilateral Cooperation and the Challenges of the 21st Century.” Telekom CEO René Obermann had made the large hall at Telekom headquarters available for the event and welcomed the numerous club members.

Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann speaks in the former plenary hall of the Federal Government before an impressive audience of 950 club members and guests.

Dr. Wiegand Pabsch served as president of the club for 12 years. After the federal government moved to Berlin, he gave the club a new identity as a forum for discussion and interaction among citizens from all walks of life by broadening its focus beyond international politics to include domestic and social policy, the economy, science, and culture. He was honored with a symposium on the future of Europe and a laudatory address by former Federal Minister Dr. Kinkel, and was named an honorary member.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker speaks at Club La Redoute to mark its 60th anniversary—and calls for greater solidarity and sensitivity within the EU.