Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state district capital. Münster was the location of the Anabaptist rebellion during the Protestant Reformation and the site of the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years' War in 1648. Today it is known as the bicycle capital of Germany. Münster gained the status of a ''Großstadt'' (major city) with more than 100,000 inhabitants in 1915. , there are 300,000 people living in the city, with about 61,500 students, only some of whom are recorded in the official population statistics as having their primary residence in Münster. Münster is a part of the international

Euregio EUREGIO is a cross-border region between the Netherlands and Germany and the first Euroregion. It was founded in 1958 as a German Eingetragener Verein, and has been converted in 2016 into a public body based on the 1991 Treaty of Anholt (german: A ...

region with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants (

Enschede Enschede (; known as in the local Twents dialect) is a municipality and city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region. The eastern parts of the urban area reaches the border of the German city of Gronau ...

, Hengelo, Gronau, Osnabrück).

History

Early history

In 793, Charlemagne sent out

Ludger Ludger ( la, Ludgerus; also Lüdiger or Liudger) (born at Zuilen near Utrecht 742; died 26 March 809 at Billerbeck) was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia. He has ...

as a missionary to evangelise the Münsterland. In 797, Ludger founded a school that later became the Cathedral School. Gymnasium Paulinum traces its history back to this school. Ludger was ordained as the first

bishop of Münster A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. The first cathedral was completed by 850. The combination of ford and crossroad, market place, episcopal administrative centre, library and school, established Münster as an important centre. In 1040, Heinrich III became the first king of Germany to visit Münster.

Middle Ages and early modern period

In the Middle Ages, the Prince-Bishopric of Münster was a leading member of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

. In 1534, an apocalyptic

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...

sect, led by

John of Leiden John of Leiden (born Johan Beukelszoon; 2 February 1509 – 22 January 1536) was a Dutch Anabaptist leader. In 1533 he moved to Münster, capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster, where he became an influential prophet, turned the city into ...

, took power in the

Münster rebellion Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

and founded a democratic proto-socialistic state. They claimed all property, burned all books except the Bible, and called it the "New Jerusalem". John of Leiden believed he would lead the elect from Münster to capture the entire world and purify it of evil with the sword in preparation for the

Second Coming of Christ The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...

and the beginning of the Millennium. They went so far as to require all citizens to be naked as preparation for the Second Coming. However, the town was recaptured in 1535; the Anabaptists were tortured to death and their corpses were exhibited in metal baskets, which can still be seen hanging from the tower of St. Lambert's Church. Part of the signing of the

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...

of 1648 was held in Münster. This ended the Thirty Years' War and the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

. It also guaranteed the future of the prince-bishop and the diocese; the area was to be exclusively Roman Catholic.

18th, 19th and early 20th centuries

The last outstanding palace of the German baroque period, the Schloss Münster, was created according to plans by Johann Conrad Schlaun. The University of Münster (today called "Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster", WWU) was established in 1780. It is now a major European centre for excellence in education and research with large faculties in the arts, humanities, theology, sciences, business and law. Currently there are about 40,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled. In 1802 Münster was conquered by Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. It was also part of the Grand Duchy of Berg between 1806 and 1811 and the Lippe department of the First French Empire between 1811 and 1813, before returning to Prussian rule. It became the capital of the Prussian

province of Westphalia The Province of Westphalia () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar Republic and from 1918 ...

. In 1899 the city's harbour started operations when the city was linked to the Dortmund-Ems Canal.

World War II

In the 1940s the Bishop of Münster, Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen, was one of the most prominent critics of the Nazi government. In retaliation for his success ('' The New York Times'' described Bishop von Galen as "the most obstinate opponent of the National Socialist anti-Christian program"), Münster was heavily garrisoned during World War II, and five large complexes of barracks are still a feature of the city. Münster was the headquarters (Hauptsitz) for the 6th Military District (Wehrkreis) of the German Wehrmacht, under the command of Infantry General (General der Infanterie)

Gerhard Glokke Gerhard Glokke (26 November 18845 June 1944) was a German general. Life Born in Posen, he joined the Prussian Army on 1 March 1903 as a Fahnenjunker in 2 Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment Number 47. He was promoted to lieutenant on 19 August 190 ...

. Originally made up of Westphalia and the Rhineland, after the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

it was expanded to include the Eupen – Malmedy district of Belgium. The headquarters controlled military operations in Münster,

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

, Düsseldorf, Wuppertal, Bielefeld,

Coesfeld Coesfeld (; Westphalian: ''Koosfeld'') is the capital of the district of Coesfeld in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. History Coesfeld received its city rights in 1197, but was first recorded earlier than that in the biography of St ...

, Paderborn, Herford,

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

, Detmold, Lingen, Osnabrück,

Recklinghausen Recklinghausen (; Westphalian: ''Riäkelhusen'') is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and indus ...

Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; wep, Gelsenkiärken) is the 25th most populous city of Germany and the 11th most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher River (a tributary of the Rhine), it lies ...

, and Cologne. Münster was the home station for the VI and XXIII Infantry Corps (Armeekorps), as well as the XXXIII and LVI

Panzerkorps A panzer corps (german: Panzerkorps) was an armoured corps type in Nazi Germany's ''Wehrmacht'' during World War II. The name was introduced in 1941, when the motorised corps (''Armeekorps (mot)'' or ''AK(mot)'') were renamed to panzer corps. Pan ...

. Münster was also the home of the

6th 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, 16th and 25th Panzer Division; the 16th Panzergrenadier Division; and the

, 26th, 69th, 86th, 106th, 126th, 196th, 199th, 211th, 227th, 253rd, 254th, 264th, 306th, 326th, 329th, 336th, 371st, 385th, and 716th Infantry Divisions (Infanterie-division). A secondary target of the Oil Campaign of World War II, Münster was bombed on 25 October 1944 by 34 diverted

B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

bombers, during a mission to a nearby primary target, the Scholven/ Buer synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. About 91% of the Old City and 63% of the entire city was destroyed by Allied air raids. The US

17th Airborne Division The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley. It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943 bu ...

, employed in a standard infantry role and not in a parachute capacity, attacked Münster with the British 6th Guards Tank Brigade on 2 April 1945 in a ground assault and fought its way into the contested city centre, which was cleared in urban combat on the following day.

Postwar period

From 1946 to 1998, there was a Latvian secondary school in Münster, and in 1947, one of the largest of about 93 Latvian libraries in the West was established in Münster. In the 1950s the Old City was rebuilt to match its pre-war state, though many of the surrounding buildings were replaced with cheaper modern structures. It was also for several decades a garrison town for the British forces stationed in West Germany. MuensterPrinzipalmarkt09

Post-reunification

In 2004, Münster won an honourable distinction: the LivCom-Award for the most livable city in the world with a population between 200,000 and 750,000. Münster is famous and liked for its bicycle friendliness and for the student character of the city that is due to the influence of its university, the Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster.

Geography

Geographic position

Münster is situated on the river Aa, approximately south of its confluence with the Ems in the so-called Westphalian Bight, a landscape studded with dispersed settlements and farms – the "Münsterland". The Wolstonian sediments of the mountain ridge called "Münsterländer Kiessandzug" cross the city from north to south. The highest elevation is the Mühlenberg in the northwest of Münster, 97 metres

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. The lowest elevation is at the Ems, 44 m

. The city centre is 60 m above sea level, measured at the

Prinzipalmarkt The ''Prinzipalmarkt'' is the historic principal marketplace of Münster, Germany. It is shaped by historic buildings with picturesque pediments attached to one another. It extends from St. Lambert's Church (''Lambertikirche'') in the north to the ...

in front of the historic city hall. The Dutch city of

lies about northwest of Münster. Other major cities nearby include Osnabrück, about to the north,

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

, about to the south, and Bielefeld, about to the east. Münster is one of the 42 agglomeration areas and one of Germany's biggest cities in terms of area. But it includes substantial sparsely-populated rural districts which were formerly separate local government authorities until they were amalgamated in 1975. Thus nearly half the city's area is agricultural, resulting in a low population-density of approximately 900 inhabitants per km². ModellMünster

Population density

The city's built-up area is quite extensive. There are no skyscrapers and few high-rise buildings but very many detached houses and mansions. Still the population density reaches about 15,000 inhabitants per km² in the city centre. Calculating the population density based on the actual populated area results in approximately 2890 inhabitants per km². Münster's urban area of is distributed into covered with buildings while are used for maintenance and for traffic areas, for agriculture and recreation, are covered by water, is forested and is used otherwise. The perimeter has a length of , the largest extend of the urban area in north–south direction is , in east–west direction .

Climate

A well-known saying in Münster is ''"Entweder es regnet oder es läuten die Glocken. Und wenn beides zusammen fällt, dann ist Sonntag"'' ("Either it rains or the church bells ring. And if both occur at the same time, it's Sunday."), but in reality the rainfall with approximately per year is close to the average rainfall in Germany. The perception of Münster as a rain-laden city isn't caused by the absolute amount of rainfall but by the above-average number of rainy days with relatively small amounts of rainfall. The average temperature is with approximately 1500 sun hours per year. Consequently, Münster is in the bottom fifth in comparison with other German cities. The winter in Münster is fairly mild and

snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

is unusual. The temperature during summertime meets the average in Germany. The highest daily rainfall was registered on 28 July 2014: One weather station of the MeteoGroup reported a rainfall of the State Environment Agency registered at one of its stations during seven hours. The record rainfall led to severe flooding throughout the city and the nearby Greven.

Adjacent cities and districts

Münster borders on the following cities and municipalities, named clockwise and beginning in the northwest:

Altenberge Altenberge ( Westphalian: ''Ollenbiärg'') is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km south-east of Steinfurt and 15 km north-west of Münster. Economy The ...

and Greven ( District of Steinfurt), Telgte,

Everswinkel Everswinkel is a municipality in Warendorf District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated some 30 km north of Hamm and 15 km east of Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in ...

, Sendenhorst and Drensteinfurt ( District of Warendorf), as well as Ascheberg,

Senden The town of Senden is the second-largest town of the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and is located at the border to Baden-Württemberg. The town belongs to the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund. Senden's neighbours are Neu-Ulm in the north, Weißen ...

and Havixbeck ( District of Coesfeld).

City boroughs

The city is divided into six administrative districts or

Stadtbezirk A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as "borough". In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a metropo ...

e: "Mitte" (Middle), "Nord" (North), "Ost" (East), "West", "Süd-Ost" (South-East) and "Hiltrup". Each district is represented by a council of 19 representatives elected in local elections. Heading each council is the district mayor, or ''Bezirksvorsteher''. Every district is subdivided into residential quarters (''Wohnbereiche''). This official term, however, is not used in common speech, as there are no discrete definitions of the individual quarters. The term "Stadtteil" is used instead, mainly referring to the incorporated communities. The districts are also divided into 45 statistical districts. The following list names each district with its residential and additional quarters. These are the official names, which partly differ from the usage in common speech. Muenster's parking building for bicycles

Muenster's parking building for bicycles

Mitte Mitte () is the first and most central borough of Berlin. The borough consists of six sub-entities: Mitte proper, Gesundbrunnen, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Tiergarten and Wedding. It is one of the two boroughs (the other being Friedrichshain-Kreuzb ...

: **Kernbereich (Centre) *

Nord Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to: Acronyms * National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization * New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US Film and televisi ...

: **Münster-Coerde, Coerde ** Kinderhaus ** Sprakel with Sandrup * Ost: ** Dyckburg, consisting of Mariendorf and Sudmühle ** Gelmer with Gittrup **

Handorf Handorf is a municipality in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The headquarters of the music publishing company Lugert Verlag GmbH who produce the Forte scorewriter A scorewriter, or music notation program is software fo ...

with Kasewinkel, Kreuzbach, Laer, Dorbaum and Verth on the left bank of the Ems and Werse **Mauritz-Ost and Mondstraße, combined better known as St. Mauritz * West: ** Albachten ** Gievenbeck ** Mecklenbeck ** Nienberge with Häger, Schönebeck and Uhlenbrock ** Roxel with Altenroxel and Oberort ** Sentruper Höhe * Süd-Ost: ** Angelmodde with Hofkamp **

Gremmendorf Gremmendorf is a locale in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. The area lies south-eastern of the city-center, has a population of 11,000 (according to a December 31, 2009 census), and belongs to the south-eastern municipal district. Add ...

with Loddenheide ** Wolbeck * Hiltrup: ** Amelsbüren with Sudhoff, Loevelingloh and Wilbrenning ** Berg Fidel ** Hiltrup The centre can be subdivided into historically evolved city districts whose borders are not always strictly defined, such as *Aaseestadt *Erphoviertel *Geistviertel *Hansaviertel *Herz-Jesu-Viertel *Kreuzviertel *Kuhviertel *Mauritzviertel *Neutor *Pluggendorf *Rumphorst *Schlossviertel *Südviertel *Uppenberg *Zentrum Nord

Demographics

Münster has approximately 300,000 inhabitants, and more than 10,000 others who have their secondary residence in the city. The city has about 50,000 resident foreigners. The life-expectancy in Münster is 76.3 years for men and 83.1 years for women. The average age of Münster's residents was 40 in 2006. Population development since 1816: Number of largest foreign groups in Münster by nationality:

Politics

Mayor

The current Mayor of Münster is Markus Lewe of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who was elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2015 and 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Markus Lewe , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 68,817 , 44.6 , 69,705 , 52.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Peter Todeskino , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

, 43,978 , 28.5 , 62,824 , 47.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Michael Jung , align=left, Social Democratic Party , 25,170 , 16.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Ulrich Thoden , align=left, The Left , 5,200 , 3.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Jörg Berens , align=left,

Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...

, 4,685 , 3.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Roland Scholle , align=left, Die PARTEI , 2,581 , 1.7 , - , , align=left, Georgios Tsakalidis , align=left, Münster List , 1,975 , 1.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Michael Krapp , align=left, Ecological Democratic Party , 1,139 , 0.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Sebastian Kroos , align=left, Pirate Party Germany , 918 , 0.6 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 154,463 ! 99.3 ! 132,529 ! 99.5 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 1,132 ! 0.7 ! 636 ! 0.5 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 155,595 ! 100.0 ! 133,165 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 247,189 ! 62.9 ! 247,097 ! 53.9 , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer

City council

The Münster city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 50,465 , 32.7 , 2.5 , 22 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(Grüne) , 46,696 , 30.3 , 10.1 , 20 , 6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 27,163 , 17.6 , 9.4 , 12 , 7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 7,539 , 4.9 , 0.2 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(FDP) , 7,104 , 4.6 , 1.3 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 4,032 , 2.6 , New , 2 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

(AfD) , 3,399 , 2.2 , 0.4 , 1 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 3,196 , 2.1 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) , 1,876 , 1.2 , 0.1 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Munster List (Münsterliste) , 1,848 , 1.2 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten) , 959 , 0.6 , 1.5 , 0 , 2 , - , , align=left, Modern Social Party (MSP) , 71 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 154,348 ! 99.2 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 1,273 ! 0.8 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 155,621 ! 100.0 ! ! 66 ! 6 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 247,189 ! 63.0 ! 3.3 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer

Representation

Münster forms its own

Electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

(No. 129) for elections on a national level. Due to Germany's mixture of a direct and a proportional electoral system Münster sends a directly elected member into the Bundestag as well as other politicians have the chance to qualify via their party's state-wide list. As for the

2021 German federal election Federal elections in Germany, Federal elections were held in Germany on 26 September 2021 to elect the members of the List of members of the 20th Bundestag, 20th Bundestag. States of Germany, State elections in 2021 Berlin state election, Berli ...

health politician

Maria Klein-Schmeink Maria Anna Klein-Schmeink (born 6 January 1958) is a German politician of Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2009. Early life and career Klein-Schmeink studi ...

( The Greens) won the districts seat in the Bundestag with 32.3% of the personal vote. Defeated candidates, former member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia Stefan Nacke ( CDU/26.2%) and former environment minister Svenja Schulze ( SPD/24.1%) both became members of the

20th Bundestag This is a list of members of the 20th and current Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. The 20th Bundestag was elected in the 26 September 2021 federal election, and was constituted in its first session on 26 October 2021. The 20th Bun ...

via their parties' lists. Svenja Schulze enterd the new

Scholz cabinet The Scholz cabinet (German: ''Kabinett Scholz'', ) is the current cabinet of Germany, led by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The cabinet is composed of Scholz's Social Democratic Party, Alliance 90/The Greens and the Free Democratic Party, an a ...

regaining a position as minister, this time in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. On the state level Münster was divided into two constituencies up until the 2017 North Rhine-Westphalia state election. The election system of state elections mirrors that of national elections. During the legislative period of

Laschet cabinet The Laschet cabinet was the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia between 2017 and 2021, sworn in on 30 June 2017 after Armin Laschet was elected as Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia by the members of the Landtag of North Rhine-Wes ...

redistricting resulted in Münster now being split up into three constituencies, two of which now also include some surrounding municipalities. The 2017 election saw both CDU candidates Stefan Nacke and Simone Wendland winning their seat via the constituency. Via party lists Svenja Schulze (SPD) and Josefine Paul (The Greens) entered the Landtag. After Nacke and Schulze both changed into federal politics, Münster is left with only two representatives in the Landtag.

Economy

The city is considered the "creative desk of Westphalia". Greater Münster is home to many industries such as those of public authorities, consulting companies, insurance companies, banks, computer centres, publishing houses, advertising and design. The service sector has created several thousand jobs. Retailers have approximately 1.9 billion euro turnover. The city still has traditional merchants' townhouses as well as modern outlets. The job market situation in Münster is "comparatively good". Of the approximately 130,000 employees subject to social insurance contribution more than 80% work in the tertiary sector, about 17% work in the secondary sector and 1% work in the primary sector.

Main sights

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gr ...

, built in the 13th century in a mixture of late Romanesque and early Gothic styles. It was completely restored after World War II. It includes an astronomical clock of 1540, adorned with hand-painted zodiac symbols, which traces the movement of the planets, and plays a

Glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...

tune every noon. * The ''

'', the main shopping street in the city centre with the Gothic

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

(14th century) in which the

treaty which put an end to the Thirty Years' War was signed in 1648. Immediately north of the ''Prinzipalmarkt'' is the ''Roggenmarkt''. * St Lambert's Church (1375), with three cages hanging from its tower above the clock face. In 1535 these cages were used to display the corpses of Jan van Leiden and other leaders of the

Münster Rebellion Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

, who promoted polygamy and renunciation of all property. * Überwasserkirche, a Gothic hall church consecreated in 1340 as church of a Stift which grew to be the University of Münster * The Schloss (palace), built in 1767–87 as residence for the prince-bishops by the Baroque architect Johann Conrad Schlaun and Wilhelm Ferdinand Lipper. Now the administrative centre for the University. * The Botanischer Garten Münster, a botanical garden founded in 1803 * The Zwinger fortress built in 1528. Used from the 18th to the 20th century as a prison. During World War II, the Gestapo also used the Zwinger for executions * "Krameramtshaus" (1589), an old guild house, which housed the delegation from the Netherlands during the signing of the

* Stadthaus (1773) * Haus Rüschhaus (1743–49), a country estate situated in Nienberge, built by Johann Conrad Schlaun for himself * Erbdrostenhof (1749–53), a Baroque palace, also built by Schlaun, residence of

Droste zu Vischering The House of Droste zu Vischering is the name of an old and important Westphalian noble family in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster. Notable family members * Bishop Clemens August Droste zu Vischering (1773–1845), Archbishop of Cologne * Mary ...

noble family and birthplace of Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart. * Clemenskirche (1745–53), a Baroque church, also built by Schlaun *

Kreuzkirche The Dresden Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) is a Lutheran church in Dresden, Germany. It is the main church and seat of the '' Landesbischof'' of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony, and the largest church building in the Free State ...

, a Gothic-revival church * Signal-Iduna Building (1961), the first high-rise building in Münster * LVM-Building, high-rise building near the Aasee * LBS-Building, location of Münster's first zoo. Some old structures of the former zoo can be found in the park around the office building. Also the "Tuckesburg", the strange-looking house of the zoo's founder, is still intact. * "Münster Arkaden" (2006), new shopping centre between Prinzipalmarkt and the Pablo Picasso Museum of Graphic Art * "Cavete", the oldest academic pub in Münster *

Westphalian State Museum of Art and Cultural History The Westphalian State Museum of Art and Cultural History (''LWL-Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte'') is an arts and cultural museum in Münster, Germany Besides an extensive collection ranging from '' spätgotik'' painting and scul ...

* University Bible museum * Buddenturm – a former city water tower built about 1150 as a defence tower and now fitted with windows, is near the largest aggregation of pubs in the city * City Museum ("Stadtmuseum"), exhibition of a large collection showing the political and cultural history of the city from its beginning up to present, housed by a converted former department store * University Mineralogical Museum *

Westphalian Horse Museum The Westfälische Pferdemuseum Münster - Hippomaxx is in the Allwetterzoo in Münster, Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of Nor ...

("Hippomax") * Mühlenhof open-air museum, depicting a typical Westphalian village as it looked centuries ago * Westphalian Museum for Natural History, state museum and planetarium *

Museum of Lacquer Art The Museum of Lacquer Art (German:Museum für Lackkunst) is a museum in Münster, Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North R ...

(founded and operated by the company BASF Coatings) *

Pablo Picasso Museum of Graphic Art Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer *Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer * Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist *Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer *Pablo Brenes ...

, the only museum devoted exclusively to the graphic works of Pablo Picasso * Pinkus Müller, the only brewery left in Münster; originally there were more than 150. *

Kiepenkerl statue ''Kiepenkerl'' was originally a sandstone statue of a travelling merchant created by August Schmiemann in Münster, Germany in 1896. Destroyed in World War II, it was re-created in cast metal by Albert Mazzotti Jr in 1953. The statue now stands ...

in Kiepenkerl Square

Education

Münster is home to many institutions of higher education, including the University of Münster and University of Applied Sciences. The city also has 92 primary and secondary education schools. The city had 61,441 students in 2015/16.

Transport

Air

Münster Osnabrück International Airport Münster Osnabrück International Airport , ''Flughafen Münster/Osnabrück'' in German, is a minor international airport in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located near Greven, north of Münster and south of Osnabrück. ...

serves the city of Münster. The airport provides flights to European destinations mostly.

Bicycling

Münster claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany. It states that in 2007, vehicle traffic (36.4%) fell below traffic by bicycle (37.6%), even though it is unclear how such a figure is defined. The city maintains an extensive network for bicycles including the popular "Promenade" which encircles Münster's city centre. While motorised vehicles are banned, there are paths for pedestrians. Additional

bicycle paths Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...

link all city districts with the inner city and special traffic lights provide signals for bicyclists. Bicycle stations in Münster offer bicycle rentals.

Train

Münster's Central Station is on the

Wanne-Eickel–Hamburg railway The Wanne-Eickel–Hamburg railway is the shortest railway link between the Metropole Ruhr and the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and hence one of the most important railway lines in northwest Germany. The Route runs over the cities Münster (West ...

. The city is connected by Intercity trains to many other major cities in Germany.

Public transportation

Historically, Münster had a historic tramway system, but it closed in 1954. Today, Münster does have some public transportation, which includes bus expresses, sightseeing buses, "waterbuses", Lime scooters and bicycle rentals. It is the largest German city without a U-Bahn or an S-Bahn system.

Sports

The city is home to Preußen Münster, which was founded on 30 April 1906. The main section is football, and the team plays at Preußenstadion. Other important sports teams include the USC Münster e.V. volleyball club.

British forces

After the Second World War, Münster became a major station within Osnabrück Garrison, part of

British Forces Germany British Forces Germany (''BFG'') was the generic name for the three services of the British Armed Forces, made up of service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. It was established following the Second ...

. Their presence was gradually reduced, yet there are still many active military bases. The last forces left Münster on 4 July 2013.

Twin towns – sister cities

Münster is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * York, England, United Kingdom (1958) * Orléans, France (1960) * Kristiansand, Norway (1967) * Monastir, Tunisia (1969) *

Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...

, Israel (1981) * Fresno, United States (1986) * Ryazan, Russia (1989) *

Mühlhausen Mühlhausen () is a city in the north-west of Thuringia, Germany, north of Niederdorla, the country's geographical centre, north-west of Erfurt, east of Kassel and south-east of Göttingen. Mühlhausen was first mentioned in 967 and bec ...

, Germany (1990) *

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...

, Poland (1991) *

, Netherlands (2020)

Notable people

Johannes Veghe Johannes Veghe (c.1435 – 21 September 1504) was a German preacher and religious writer. Life Veghe was born in Münster in Westphalia. His father seems to have been a physician. In 1450 he matriculated at the University of Cologne; in the re ...

(c. 1435–1504), religious writer *

Henry Nicholis Hendrik Nicholis (or Hendrik Niclaes, Henry Nichlaes, Heinrich Niclaes; c. 1501 – c. 1580) was a German mystic and founder of the proto-deist sect "Familia Caritatis" (a.k.a. "Family of Love","''Familia Caritatis''" or "''Hus der Lieften''"). ...

(ca.1501 – ca.1580) a German mystic, founded '' Familia Caritatis''. * Christoph Bernhard Verspoell (1743–1818), priest and publisher of an influential hymnal *

Clemens August Droste zu Vischering Baron Clemens August Droste zu Vischering (German: ''Clemens August Freiherr von Droste zu Vischering''; 21 January 1773 – 19 October 1845) was an Archbishop of Cologne. His clashes with the Prussian government personified the conflict relat ...

(1773–1845)

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...

. * Georges Depping (1784–1853), German-French historian * Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797–1848), noble and poet. * Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler (1811–1877), theologian and politician, Bishop of Mainz. *

Paul Melchers Paul Melchers (6 January 1813 – 14 December 1895) was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Cologne. At the height of the '' Kulturkampf'' he took refuge in the Netherlands. Life Melchers was born in Münster. He studied law at Bonn (1830–33), an ...

(1813–1895), Cardinal and Archbishop of Cologne * Joseph Weydemeyer (1818–1866), military officer, journalist, politician and Marxist revolutionary * Ludwig von Wittich (1818–1884), Prussian lieutenant general * Max von Forckenbeck (1821–1892), National Liberal politician, mayor of Wroclaw and Berlin *

Bernard Altum Johann Bernard Theodor Altum (31 January 1824, Münster, Province of Westphalia – 1 February 1900, Eberswalde) was a German Catholic priest, zoologist, and forest scientist who also engaged in popularizing his religiously grounded understanding ...

(1824–1900), zoologist, ornithologist and forest scientist * Elisabet Ney (1833–1907), sculptor * Alexander von Kluck (1846–1934), German general, World War I *

Albert Kopfermann Albert Kopfermann (15 January 1846 – 29 May 1914) was a German musicologist and librarian. Life Born in Dortmund, Kopfermann studied jurisprudence, philology and musicology at the universities of Bonn, Berlin and Halle. In 1878 he was appoi ...

(1846–1914), musicologist and librarian * Mary of the Divine Heart Droste zu Vischering (1863–1899), noble and nun beatified by Pope Paul VI *

Carl Schuhmann Carl August Berthold Schuhmann (12 May 1869 – 24 March 1946) was a German athlete who won four Olympic titles in gymnastics and sport wrestling, wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, becoming the most successful athlete at the in ...

(1869–1946), gymnast and wrestler *

Alfred Flechtheim Alfred Flechtheim (1 April 1878 – 9 March 1937) was a German Jewish art dealer, art collector, journalist and publisher persecuted by the Nazis. Early years Flechtheim was born into a Jewish merchant family; his father, Emil Flechtheim, was a g ...

(1878–1937), art dealer, art collector, journalist and publisher * Clemens August Graf von Galen (1878–1946), cardinal, Bishop of Münster, beatified by Pope Benedict XVI *

Friedrich-Carl Rabe von Pappenheim __NOTOC__ Friedrich-Carl Rabe von Pappenheim (5 October 1894 – 9 June 1977) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Pappenheim surrendered to the Soviet troop ...

(1894–1977), general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany and war criminal * Kurt Gerstein (1905–1945),

SS officer The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...

* Gunther Plaut (1912–2012), Reform rabbi and author * Moondog (1916–1999), musician, composer, theoretician, poet and inventor of musical instruments *

Stefan Dohr Stefan Dohr (born September 3, 1965 in Münster) is a German horn player and currently the principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Berliner Philharmoniker). Apart from being a sought-after masterclass teacher, he teaches the horn at t ...

(born 1965), French horn player, current principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic *

Alfred Dregger Alfred Dregger (10 December 1920 – 29 June 2002) was a German politician and a leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Dregger was born in Münster. After graduating from a school in Werl, he entered the German Wehrmacht in 193 ...

(1920–2002), politician and leader of the CDU *

Peter Duesberg Peter H. Duesberg (born December 2, 1936) is a German-American molecular biologist and a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is known for his early research into the genetic aspects of cancer. ...

(born 1936) virologist who discovered the first retrovirus *

Dieter Sieger Dieter Sieger (born 3 May 1938) is a German architect, shipbuilder, industrial designer, painter and art collector. He is one of Germany's most prominent and distinctive contemporary designers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Sieger made history by maki ...

(born 1938), shipbuilder *

Heinz Lukas-Kindermann Heinz Lukas-Kindermann (born 1 June 1939) is a German theatre director and intendant. Life and career Born in Münster, Lukas-Kindermann is the son of the Austrian theatre scholar . He grew up in Vienna and studied at the University of Music an ...

(born 1939), opera director *

Detlev Jöcker Detlev Jöcker (born 5 October 1951) is a German composer, singer and songwriter, focused on songs with movement for small children. He has sold more than 13 million albums. He founded the publishing house Menschenkinder Verlag. Life and work ...

(born 1951), composer, singer and songwriter * Götz Alsmann (born 1957), television presenter, musician and singer *

Andreas Dombret Andreas Raymond Dombret (born January 16, 1960, in the United States) is German-American banker who served as member of the executive board of the Deutsche Bundesbank from 2010 until 2018. In that capacity, he held responsibility for Banking and ...

(born 1960), board member of German central bank

Deutsche Bundesbank The Deutsche Bundesbank (), literally "German Federal Bank", is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most ...

* Monika Grütters (born 1962), politician * Ute Lemper (born 1963), cabaret singer and actress * Tanita Tikaram (born 1969), British singer-songwriter *

Berthold Warnecke Berthold Warnecke (born 15 February 1971) is a German dramaturge and Opera director in Würzburg. Career Born in Münster, Warnecke studied musicology, Germanistic and Romance studies at the University of Münster and the Scuola di Paleografia ...

(born 1971), dramaturge and opera director * Franka Potente (born 1974), German actress * Linus Gerdemann (born 1982), cyclist *

Esther Dierkes Esther Dierkes (born 9 February 1990) is a German operatic, concert and lied soprano. Life and career Born in Münster, Dierkes received her first voice lessons at the age of 13. She achieved first prize in the national competition Jugend musiz ...

(born 1990), opera singer

Gallery

MuensterRathausSendschwert2800.jpg, Symbolic sword, old city hall Münster - Hauptbahnhof (2).jpg, Hauptbahnhof, Centre Entrance to the underground bicycle station Münster oppsite the railway station.jpg, Entrance bicycle station opposite the old railway station Muenster Promenade 6457.jpg, Promenade in autumn Marienplatz Münster 2013.jpg, Marienplatz Münster Centre Former Apollo cinema Münster.jpg, Old Apollo cinema, Marienplatz Münster's municipal theatre.jpg, Münster's municipal theatre Public library Münster.jpg, Public Library, Centre County Museum Münster.jpg, Landesmuseum Münster LVA Muenster.jpg, LVA (State Social Insurance Board) Münster-Nord Messecentrum Münster.jpg, Trade Fair Centre Münster

References

External links

*
English page of Münster All-Weather Zoo

– Panoramic Views of Münster's Highlights
7Grad.org – Bunkers in Muenster
– History of Muenster's air raid shelters
The Siege of Muenster
– audio discussion from " In Our Time" BBC
Technology Park Münster (Host of technology companies in Münster)

Tourist-Info

(emergency banknotes) depicting the

with Ian Bockelson, Berndt Knipperdollink, Berntken Krechting, and Jan van Leyden. http://webgerman.com/Notgeld/Directory/M/Muenster.htm * {{DEFAULTSORT:Munster Oil campaign of World War II Members of the Hanseatic League Populated places established in the 8th century 8th-century establishments in Europe