Happy Days in Münster

 

When we left for Germany in the middle of October we were heading to Münster, the city where Kaefer now lives. She works at the University of Münster, one of the biggest universities in Germany. Münster is an independent city (Kreisfreie Stadt) in Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) close to the border with the Netherlands. It is considered to be the cultural center of Westphalia. It has a population of more than 300,000, more than 60,000 of them (university) students. The city is more than 1,200 years old.

The centerpiece of downtown definitely is the area of and around Prinzipalmarkt (principal marketplace), pictured in the photo above. The historic buildings were largely destroyed during the WWII bombings and reconstructed from 1947 to 1958, mostly true to the original. The buildings house shops and cafés and have picturesque pediments. Since it rains a lot in Münster, the archways are very useful.

Prinzipalmarkt looks especially beautiful at night.

At the Southern end of Prinzipalmarkt is the historical town hall (Rathaus) which houses the Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace) where the Westfälischer Frieden (Peace of Westphalia) was signed in October 1648. This ended the Thirty Years' War and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire. European history is incredible complicated and it would really break the mold of this blog if I would try to explain in detail what happened during those 30 years and how long it took to achieve this peace treaty. Especially since there are more historical events to come that took place in Münster. Wikipedia gives a good introduction to both the Thirty Years' War and the Peace of Westphalia if you're interested, but I have to warn you - it's confusing!

The next place at Prinzipalmarkt that we're going to visit (and which has fascinated me since I was a child) is Lambertikirche (St Lambert's Church). It's of late Gothic architecture and about in the center of Prinzipalmarkt.

It has a couple interesting things inside - one being the large hanging organ built by Karl Schuke in 1988. It feels very impressive when you stand right beneath it.

The second is the Himmelsleiter (Jacob's ladder), a light installation by Billie Thanner from 2022. It used to be exhibited on the tower of the church, but is now hanging above the baptismal fountain.

But the main historical importance of this church was something very different and more gruesome. Look carefully at this picture.

Have you noticed the three cages above the clock? In 1536 the corpses of three Wiedertäufer (Anabaptists), Jan van Leiden, Bernhard Krechting and Bernhard Knipperdolling, were exposed in these cages after they were publicly tortured and killed in Prinzipalmarkt for leading the Täuferreich von Münster (Münster Rebellion). In short, radical Anabaptists attempted to establish a communal sectarian government in Münster - a city and Bistum (diocese) that has always been and still is dominantly catholic. The city was under Anabaptist rule from February 1534 until June 1535. It's quite a gruesome "story" - again, Wikipedia gives a good overview of the rebellion. 

Let's have a break, shall we? What about some coffee and cake? Germany's afternoon coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen) culture is not to be missed - and it's my ticket to Elizabeth's T Tuesday.

As I mentioned above, Münster is dominantly Catholic and since it is a diocese it also has a Dom, the St. Paulus Dom (Cathedral of St Paul). It is off Prinzipalmarkt and surrounded by a large square where every Saturday morning a huge farmers market takes place.

For a Catholic church the Dom was surprisingly plain and simple on the inside. I liked these windows.

Probably the most well-know bishop of Münster was Clemens August Graf von Galen, who during World War II led Catholic protests against Nazi euthanasia, denounced Gestapo lawlessness and the persecution of the Church in Nazi Germany. His sermons inspired some German Resistance groups, among them Die Weiße Rose, about whom I wrote here.

The Bistum of Münster was established in 805 as this manhole cover on the Domplatz (Cathedral Square) lets everybody know who cares to look.

Here you can see how close Dom and Lambertikirche are. They are just a few walking minutes apart from each other.

And a view of them from Café 1648 on the 11th floor.

Are you already tired of churches? One more - Überwasserkirche ("church beyond the water"), my favorite. It reminds me a little bit of English country churches.

It has a beautiful window and an interesting door.

Here it is reflected in a car window.

Münster also has many narrow alleys like almost all of the old German city centers. Here is an alley close to Überwasserkirche and the other near the Dom.

Maybe you have noticed the many bicycles in some of the photos. Münster is known as the bicycle capital of Germany. It is flat, perfect for riding a bike, and almost everywhere there are bike paths that keep bicycle riders safe from cars. Kaefer doesn't have a car and goes everywhere in Münster by bike, and if the weather is too ghastly she takes the bus. It is also well linked to the train network which enables her to get almost everywhere she wants to. But let's talk about that in a later post, because the Deutsche Bahn (German rail) is one of the things that Germans complain about the most (and I can't blame them for it).

And one more fun fact. Münster is the location for two German crime shows - "Wilsberg" and "Tatort". "Tatort" is one of the longest running crime shows in Germany and the title music and beginning hasn't changed since at least the 70s. It's not a "real" series per se since it is produced by different TV stations (depending on the Bundesland or state). I think each of the participating states (there are 16 in Germany) get at least 2 episodes a year - and one of them is Tatort Münster which I believe is one of the most popular ones. I certainly am a big fan.

One last picture of a church (in the rain) - I liked the round tower which is kind of unusual. 

Thank you for sticking to the end of this long post. I hope you all have a wunderbare week and if you're in the US, a lovely Thanksgiving.