The hope of many Bonn residents that it would fall to the Bonn-based Haus der Geschichte was dashed. Instead, it went into the hands of the 8,000-member "Mercedes-Benz Markenclub vdh" in Ornbau, a very small town in the Ansbach district of central Franconia in Bavaria with a population of around 1,600. As Frank Mühling, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH in Stuttgart, announced in August 2017, the star was to become the central exhibit of an exhibition there. To this end, a building was to be constructed in Ornbau in which vehicles would also be exhibited. The opening was planned for 2019. But the club's plans have since changed, as a GA enquiry revealed.

High requirements and excessive costs amounting to two million euros had ruined the old idea of exhibiting the star in a hall, says the club's chairman Horst Stümpfig. Instead, it is now to become an industrial monument on the grounds of a historic museum city. This is currently being built on 4000 square metres on a private area belonging to the brand’s club. The Mercedes star will then be folded up and hover four metres above a square that has been paved with paving stones. From up there, the shadow of the star should then fall visibly to the ground. "Of all the ideas, this is the one our members wanted the most," says Stümpfig.

Unlike in Bonn, the star will thus spend most of its time lying down. On the Bonn Centre, the star could also be folded in hydraulically, for example in stormy weather or for maintenance work. The object which has a diameter of eight metres was placed on a support pillar. "But Mercedes didn't supply this support at the time, they forgot about it," says Stümpig. Instead, two figures will carry the ring of the star. The plan is for two statues representing the German car pioneers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz to lift the Mercedes star into the air. Sketches show a first idea of what the monument will look like when it is completed.

The work is underway. The site has already been completed and the hydraulic base installed. As early as March, the club members plan to plant the star on the stand and fasten it with twelve screws. Afterwards, the square will be landscaped and connected to an adjacent street. However, the area is not open to the public.

The Mercedes Club does not want to leave the landmark in its original state. The star from Bonn is facing far-reaching changes. "In Bonn, you couldn't see from a distance and at a height of 60 metres that the star is actually a totally ugly iron block," says Stumpig. Now the six-tonne colossus is to be painted silver. But before that, many spots have to be filled and puttied. For example, the holes for the neon tubes that made the star shine in the dark. These are to be replaced by modern LED lights. Even though the star will now spend most of its time with its head bowed, the club from Middle Franconia wants to raise the star on special occasions. "Whenever FC Bayern loses a match, you will be able to see the star shining and turning from the motorway," says Stumpig.

The former Bonn-Center was completed in 1969 and was initially one of the top addresses in Bonn. For many years, the upper floors housed the Steigenberger Hotel, where famous personalities often stayed, including the great shipowner Aristotle Onassis. In 1988, the decline of the building complex, which was once to form the new centre of Bonn, began: The Steigenberger moved out. The rooms were converted into offices, the Deutsche Post moved in and out again. After that, more and more vacancies arose. In summer 2016, after almost 30 years, the Pantheon vacated its theatre space in the former Forum of the Bonn Centre and moved to Halle Beuel.In 2014, Art Invest from Cologne acquired the entire complex. It was first gutted, then the investors decided to demolish it. It took place on Sunday, 19 March 2017, at 11 am sharp. In a few seconds, the Bonn Center was history. In addition to thousands of onlookers, around 100 journalists, including teams from Russia and Albania, followed the spectacle from a safe distance from the Reuterbrücke. Blaster Eduard Reisch had succeeded in a picture-perfect blast. In the meantime, the new high-rise "Neuer Kanzlerplatz" (New Chancellor Square) is being built on the same site, with a 101-storey high main building with 28 floors and two six-storey annexes.

Original text: Andreas Dyck and Alexander Hertel - Translation: Mareike Graepel