Meanwhile, Katharina Kollmann and seven friends make their way to the Kennedy Bridge. “We’re just coming from a New Year’s dinner at the Greek restaurant and now want to see the fireworks,” says the woman from Bonn. After the group choose a spot on the Kennedy Bridge, the champagne glasses are immediately unpacked – after all, you want to toast the New Year exactly at midnight.

There are still around 20 minutes to midnight and slowly more and more people stream onto the Rhine bridge. At 11.45pm, later than announced, the police start to close the bridge to traffic. Immediately afterwards, many revellers also commandeer the road to launch their fireworks. Others have looked for a place at the bridge railings and watch as the first fireworks soar into the air on the Bonn and Beuel sides. Many also go to the banks of the Rhine - it is particularly crowded in the area between the Kennedy Bridge and the opera. Three minutes before midnight, the Bonn night sky is already covered in a colourful sea of light. Many look at their mobile phones to check the exact time and gradually more and more people toast the New Year, hug each other or simply marvel at the fireworks, which have now really taken off.

Vivian (24) and Marcel (26) are also celebrating the New Year here and light sparklers with their friend Christina (24). “Ten of us came to the bridge because the view and the atmosphere are simply great,” says Christina. The police race up and down the Kennedy Bridge a few times and later report many incidents, but things remain friendly and peaceful on the bridge itself. The first visitors leave the bridge again after about a quarter of an hour.

Klaus and Bärbel Schneider are some of the few who still remain. “We want to watch the fireworks to the end,” says Schneider. It is the first New Year on the bridge for the couple from Dottendorf and the pair are satisfied: “It stayed dry, the mood is really good and the people were all very sensible. It is much more civilised and stress-free here than at some other places on the Rhine bank,” says Scheider. While the two enjoy the final minutes of the fireworks, they do not even notice that the first road sweepers are already driving over the Kennedy Bridge, although the New Year only started 30 minutes ago.

Bonnorange has two vehicles working on the bridge and the result is positive: “We have less rubbish this time than in previous years,” reports Heinz-Bert Kluth, district representative for Bonnorange. After only 45 minutes cleaning time, all the fireworks and glass bottles have been collected. At 1.20am, the road can be reopened to vehicle traffic. The road sweepers now drive on to the square in front of the Beuel town hall. Then they head for the city centre. “We have collected perhaps half a tonne of rubbish in total. That’s quite normal for a New Year’s Eve. Carnival is much worse,” explains Kluth. After the fireworks, many revellers move on to Bonn’s pubs and bars to enjoy the start of 2018. (Original text: Sebastian Flick. Translation: kc.)