Florian Horbach is director of the Westdeutschen Grundstücksauktionen AG, which auctions off third-party properties. “We have been in negotiations for three years with the Indonesian government,” he says. “The agreement was not easy. Indonesia eventually came to the conclusion that it would sell its properties in Bad Godesberg in a public auction - for reasons of transparency,” he offered.

The former embassy was built in 1980 and it was the workplace for 60 employees. It has around 2,600 square meters of space on a lot size of 4,000 square meters. After 17 years of vacancy, Horbach says it is in dire need of renovation.

In Mehlem, the former residence sits on a sloped lot of 2,300 square meters. It was built in 1965, has an outdoor swimming pool, corridor, several bedrooms and bathrooms and some large reception rooms. Both properties will go under the auction block on December 12 at the Cologne Hilton Hotel, along with 50 other properties.

Near the former Indonesian Embassy is the former residence of Nepal on Im Hag 15. It also stands vacant and continues to deteriorate. Altogether, there are still eleven embassies or officials residences left over from the days when Bonn was capital of Germany. Orig. text: Michael Wenzel