Information Service

Clerics, commerce and clerks

In the eighth century, Charlemagne despatched a missionary by the name of Liudger to Westphalia to found a monastery (monasterium) – from which the city of Münster later took its name – on the banks of the River Aa. Liudger was appointed the first Bishop of Münster, and in time, Münster became the region’s spiritual centre.

From the mid 14th century, Münster was a member of the Hanseatic League, an association of major cities engaged in Northern European trade. The prosperity enjoyed by the merchants of Münster is still apparent from the splendid gabled and balconied houses constructed in the Gothic and Baroque styles around the Prinzipalmarkt, the historic heart of the city. Much of it was destroyed in World War II, but the people of Münster rebuilt it in the original style after the war.

In the early 19th century, Münster became the capital of the Prussian province of Westphalia and the seat of numerous administrations, authorities and the judiciary. This has exerted a defining influence on the profile of the city, which is still Westphalia’s administrative centre, with civil servants and white-collar workers comprising 64 percent of its population.

The Peace of Westphalia

Naturally, the people of Münster feel a special affinity for a key event in history which took place within their city’s walls. The signing of the Peace of Westphalia in the Old Town Hall in Münster in 1648 and simultaneously in Osnabrück ended the Thirty Years’ War which had wreaked devastation throughout Europe. The city has maintained this historic commitment to a “European peace order”: the Friedenssaal (Peace Hall) in the Old Town Hall was the venue for major talks to prepare the “2+4” negotiations that paved the way for German unification in 1990, and Münster also hosted a summit of the G7 states two years later, when the major industrialised nations met round the table with their colleagues from the new Eastern European republics for the very first time. The city is keen to continue this tradition in future too by competing to be European City of Culture in 2010 under the title “City of the Peace of Westphalia”.

Germany’s third largest university

Münster may be steeped in history – but it is certainly not buried in the past. Quite the contrary: it has a lively atmosphere, largely due to the 55 000 students among its population of 280 000, most of whom are studying at Germany’s third largest university, the Westphalian Wilhelm University of Münster, founded in 1780. Student life permeates the city, primarily because the university is not a campus university; instead, its 200-plus institutes and buildings are dotted all over the city.

Another striking feature of the city is its bicycle culture, which is second to none. Every day, 100 000 residents of Münster swing onto their boneshakers (known locally as “wire donkeys” – Drahtesel – or Leeze for short) and pedal off round the city. The infrastructure is perfectly designed for bikes. Not only has the Promenade been extended into a “ring road” for the sole use of cyclists: there are also bicycle tours of the city, cycle stands everywhere, bike rental services and even a cycle-wash facility at the railway station.

Close to citizens – with a social conscience

This mixture of student laisser-faire, and a tradition of civic-mindedness and education results in a high quality of life for the local community, which Burkhard Spinnen, a writer and citizen of Münster by choice, greatly appreciates. In his view, the city’s residents have a “high level of sensitivity to the city’s interests”, with the people of Münster working hard on behalf of their city and their fellow citizens. No wonder the city won first prize for its Münster Social Network Forum in the national eCommunity competition launched by the Federal Interior Minister. The Forum is a liaison platform for people who want to get involved in voluntary work at local level. And no wonder the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation praises the “outstanding commitment” of Münster’s local Aliens’ Authority.

Even the television producers have now discovered the charms of the Westphalian metropolis. Münster is the setting for two crime series – Tatort (Crime Scene) on ARD and Wilsberg in ZDF. Local people agree that both productions present a thoroughly authentic picture of the city – but there are far fewer murders in reality.