Villa Hammerschmidt, also called „Bonn’s White House“ was built in 1860 by architect August Dieckhoff and reconstructed by architect Otto Penner, only eight years later. The first owners were Albert Troost and Leopold Koenig. From 1899-1928 Rudolf Hammerschmidt, a wealthy cotton dealer, lived in the beautiful stately home at the left border of the Rhine. After his death industrialist Ernst Poensgen, from Düsseldorf, bought the villa for his second wife, Louise Julie alias Lulu, a daughter of Rudolf Hammerschmidt. From 1945-1949 Villa Hammerschmidt was occupied by the Allied Troops. In 1950 the government of the FRG acquired the estate. During the next 44 years, until the government moved to Berlin after the Reunification of Germany, it was the official residence of the Federal President. Since 1994 Bonn’s White House is finally the second ceremonial residence of the German Head of State.
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My sister-in-law just asked me in a letter why the residence in Bonn is called „Villa Hammerschmidt“ and I did not know. Even though I knew this I never was curious enought to find out. That is why I came to this website. I suppose now I have something to tell my sister-in law who is married to my only brother. They have no children, hence no more Hammerschmidts. The fact that there were so many different Hammerschmidts on this website made me somewhat curious about my ancestry. Maybe, if I find some time somewhere along the line I might get some more information. I do have a book of my father’s geneology. Maybe that would be something for me to find out. Mayby. Thank you for the information. Helga Lingo, Matriarch of a fair size wonderful LINGO family.