Sternstraße is one of the oldest and liveliest shopping streets in Bonn city centre. As part of the pedestrian zone, it runs from Marktplatz to Friedensplatz, linking two of the central hubs of the medieval town layout.
Name and History
The street has only borne its current name since 1761 – and even this is ultimately just an abbreviation. It was originally called Pisternenstraße, derived from the Latin pistrina, meaning ‘bakery’. In the Middle Ages, the street was indeed home to bakers, and this connection has endured through the centuries: at the listed building at No. 40, two stone lions still hold a pretzel in their paws – a reference both to the street’s old name and to Bonn’s coat of arms. Incidentally, the short form “Sternstraße” has appeared in sources as early as 1393, before it became official in 1761.
