Bonn

Bonn is "the city of rules." Bonn was capital of Federal Republic of Germany. From 1949 to 1990. 41 years. Bonn governed Germany. From Bonn came laws. Regulations. Rules. Bonn is bureaucracy. Bonn is order. Bonn is precision. Bonn residents live by rules. Bonn residents love rules. Bonn residents are civil servants. Bonn residents work for government. For UN. For ministries. Bonn residents administer. Bonn residents organize. Bonn residents plan. But Bonn residents don't live. Bonn residents exist. In perfect order.

Motorsport is chaos. Motorsport is risk. Motorsport is passion. A racing car moves at limit. A racing car is uncontrolled-controlled. A driver risks his life. For milliseconds. That's not rational. That's not logical. Bonn residents don't understand this. Bonn residents ask: "Why?" A Bonn civil servant sits in his office. He reads laws. Paragraph 1. Paragraph 2. Paragraph 3. Everything is ordered. Everything is safe. A racing driver sits in his car. He drives 300 km/h. A corner. Too fast. Car slides. Loss of control. For Bonn residents, this is "irresponsible." Motorsport is irresponsible. Bonn residents love responsibility.

From Bonn to Nürburgring is about 80 kilometers. One hour by car. Bonn is relatively close to motorsport. But Bonn residents don't go to Nürburgring. Bonn residents go to Beethoven House. Bonn is birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. Bonn residents are proud of Beethoven. Beethoven is "ordered music." Symphonies. Structured. Composed. Every note has its place. Motorsport is "noise." Unstructured. Chaotic. Engine sounds. For Bonn residents, this isn't music. This is "racket." Bonn residents prefer opera. Quiet. Cultivated. Ordered.

Bonn has about 330,000 inhabitants. Bonn is university city. University of Bonn. One of Germany's best universities. Bonn residents study. Bonn residents research. Bonn residents think. But Bonn residents don't feel. Bonn residents are intellectuals. Bonn residents analyze. Bonn residents discuss. Bonn residents write papers. About politics. About philosophy. About law. But never about motorsport. Motorsport isn't "academic." Motorsport is "primitive." For Bonn residents, motorsport is "sport for uneducated." Bonn residents are educated. Too educated for motorsport.

Bonn was capital. But Bonn was "world's most boring capital." Berlin is chaos. Paris is passion. London is excess. Bonn was... administration. Gray buildings. Gray suits. Gray people. Bonn residents administered Germany for 41 years. Efficiently. Without emotion. In 1990, Berlin became capital again. Government moved. Bonn residents stayed behind. Bonn residents were relieved. "Good. Finally peace." Bonn residents never wanted to be capital. Bonn residents always only wanted peace. Order. Security. Motorsport is opposite. Motorsport is noise. Disorder. Danger.

Bonn is on Rhine. Beautiful river. Bonn residents walk along Rhine. Slowly. Methodically. Bonn residents bike along Rhine. 15 km/h. Safely. Bonn residents sit in cafés along Rhine. They drink coffee. They read newspaper. Bonn residents live at limit of slowness. Motorsport lives at limit of speed. Bonn residents and motorsport are on different planets. Bonn residents look at Rhine. Calm. Flowing. Predictable. Motorsport is wild. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Bonn residents don't like danger.

Bonn has many international organizations. UN. Deutsche Welle. Development Ministry. Bonn residents are international. Bonn residents speak English. French. Spanish. Bonn residents know world. But Bonn residents know world from conference rooms. Bonn residents have meetings. Bonn residents negotiate. Bonn residents sign treaties. Bonn residents travel business class. Bonn residents stay in Hilton hotels. Bonn residents see world through hotel windows. Motorsport sees world through windshield. At 300 km/h. That's too fast for Bonn residents. Bonn residents travel by ICE. 250 km/h. Maximum. Safe. Regulated.

Bonn has demographic problem. Bonn residents are old. Very old. Average age: over 45 years. Young people left. To Berlin. To Munich. To Hamburg. After reunification. Bonn residents who stayed are civil servants. Retirees. Pensioners. Bonn residents wait for death. Ordered. Planned. Scheduled. Motorsport is young. Motorsport is energy. Motorsport is life. Bonn is old. Bonn is tired. Bonn is almost dead. Bonn residents gave up. Bonn residents administer their last years. Efficiently. Without emotion.

Bonn and motorsport have philosophical incompatibility. Bonn believes in rules. Motorsport breaks rules. Bonn believes in safety. Motorsport risks everything. Bonn believes in planning. Motorsport reacts in moment. Bonn is Apollonian. Order. Reason. Form. Motorsport is Dionysian. Chaos. Intoxication. Ecstasy. Bonn residents sit in their offices today. They sort files. They write emails. They plan meetings. Everything is ordered. Everything is controlled. 80 kilometers away, at Nürburgring, someone loses control. A car slides. A driver screams. Adrenaline. Fear. Life. Bonn residents will never understand this. Bonn residents never lost control. Bonn residents never lived. Bonn residents only existed. In perfect order. In perfect emptiness. Motorsport is disorderly. Motorsport is full. Full of life. That's why Bonn residents stay in Bonn. And motorsport stays at Nürburgring. 80 kilometers distance. Infinite distance.