Germany's international broadcaster has been based in the former government quarter of Bonn since 2003 and its headquarters is home to around 1,000 employees. A multilingual team produces news and information in 30 languages, with a special focus on DW's extensive online services. Bonn is also the central hub for DW Akademie's media development and training.

DW's broadcasting center, Voltastrasse Berlin

Since 1992, Deutsche Welle has also had offices on Voltastrasse in Berlin. In addition to the several hundred people who are devoted to DW's television broadcasting services, there are also people based who are responsible for editorial offices, studios and engineering, as well as employees from DW Akademie and the administration.

Another 40 people are based at DW's Berlin Studio in the Federal Press Conference building at Schiffbauerdamm. Our journalists have been covering politics from the capital district since 2000 and their in-depth reports and interviews are distributed to the editorial teams in Bonn and Berlin. As Deutsche Welle has progressively come to focus on multimedia broadcasting, its editorial desks and departments have increasingly merged activities, regardless of physical location. And now, this content is being distributed through a variety of different outlets and platforms.

Deutsche Welle and German reunification

The building in Bonn was originally planned to house the elected members of the German parliament (Bundestag). With the reunification of Germany in October 1990, however, everything changed. Parliament voted to move from Bonn to Berlin, and as a result a new home for representatives was planned and built on the shores of the Spree in Berlin.

The Schürmann complex, Bonn

Construction of the Schürmann complex in Bonn - designed by Cologne architect Joachim Schürmann - continued. New plans were developed to accommodate Germany’s international broadcaster. Based in Cologne at the time, Deutsche Welle needed a new broadcast center due to the use of asbestos in the construction of its previous headquarters. The move suffered a major setback when flooding along the Rhine swamped the construction site in Bonn. In June 2000, a topping out ceremony was celebrated and the engineering staff took on the monumental task of installing new digital broadcast facilities. Coinciding with its 50th anniversary, DW moved into its new headquarters in the summer of 2003.

Impressive array of dishes on the roof

DW's broadcasting center on Voltastrasse in Berlin was completed in 1996. The building was designed by local architect Josef Paul Kleihues. Deutsche Welle's global television service began operations in 1992 in an adjacent building, where the producers of RIAS TV had been working since 1988. DW took over RIAS TV's facilities after it disbanded following German unification.

DW broadcasts from the heart of a historical industrial complex in Berlin that dates back to the 19th century. Nowadays it is known as a center for high-tech. Besides the new Siemens-Nixdorf complex and other contemporary buildings, many smaller startup companies have their headquarters in the nearby Berlin innovation and business center. Deutsche Welle's 11-story steel-frame building features an impressive array of satellite dishes on the roof. The largest measures seven meters in diameter.

Contact:
Deutsche Welle
Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse 3
53113 Bonn
Germany
T +49.228.429-0

Deutsche Welle
Voltastraße 6
13355 Berlin
Germany
T +49.30.4646-0

Deutsche Welle
Hauptstadtstudio
Haus der Bundespressekonferenz
Schiffbauerdamm 40
10117 Berlin
Germany
T +49.30.4646-6850