Münster – enchantingly old, excitingly young

1648 – now a long time gone, but a date that still remains charged with historic significance for Münster, and indeed the whole of Europe. However, 1648 is now also a place – one that is still very new, but also very light and bright, and located high above the gables and rooftops of the Old Town. “1648” is the name of a new café situated on the top floor of the Stadthaus building, which has just been opened to the public by resolution of the Town Council, is situated right in the heart of town, and offers a breathtaking panoramic view that reaches far out into the surrounding countryside. It is also a wonderful starting point for obtaining an overview of the shape of this ancient, but at the same time so youthful city. However, you really must then come down and experience at first hand how Münster lives and breathes. All it takes is a few steps across the small, tranquil Platz des Westfälischen Friedens (Square of the Peace of Westphalia) with its famous Chilida sculpture, and you find yourself amid the urban hustle and bustle of the Prinzipalmarkt.

And here, in the heart of the 1200-year-old Hanseatic city, you only need to take a look around to understand why Münster numbers among the "Historic Highlights of Germany". After all, European history was written in Münster when, in 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed which finally ended the 30 Years’ War. That is why, in testimony to this, Münster’s Historical Town Hall with the Peace Hall – together with its counterpart in the city of Osnabrück – bears the “European Cultural Heritage Label”. The panorama of the proud gabled merchants’ houses on the Prinzipalmarkt, the iron cages suspended from the tower of Lamberti Church that serve as a memorial to the bloody end of the Anabaptists, a few steps further to the mighty St. Paulus Cathedral, the baroque Schloss that now serves as the headquarters of one of Germany’s biggest universities, the magnificent churches and elegant aristocratic houses – they all tell the story of a rich and eventful city history.

Yet in Münster, you never have the sense of being in a museum. Even in the historic centre of the city, you can feel a youthful heartbeat at every step. And no surprise, with 60,000 students at nine universities and institutes of higher education in the city, filling Münster with exuberant life and also new faces every year. Students account for 20 percent of the population – no other German city of over 300,000 inhabitants has such a high proportion

So old, and at the same time so young – it is therefore no surprise that in this “City of Science and Lifestyle”, surprises and seeming mismatches are the order of the day: Take, for example, the only Picasso Museum in Germany with the world’s biggest collection of graphics by the artist, located behind the facade of a Westphalian aristocratic town house. Gems of baroque architecture rubbing shoulders with icons of contemporary building design. Or clubs where the in-crowd goes located in old industrial buildings. Elegant up-market shops under the arcades of the Prinzipalmarkt, and latest fashion finds to be made in trendy concept stores – and at the same time, just round the corner, farm produce fresh from the surrounding Münsterland region, organic specialities and delicious Mediterranean foods, all on offer at one of Europe’s most attractive outdoor markets. A young woman musicologist appointed as “Türmerin”, one of the city’s oldest offices, tasked with watching over the city and blowing her horn nightly from the heights of Lamberti Church tower. And talking of music: a symphony orchestra with a tradition stretching back more than 100 years – and at the same time a Music School and a Faculty of Music that both keep Münster’s sound scene well-supplied with new talent. And then the most unlikely couple of all: a snobbish professor paired with a rough-and-ready St.Pauli football fan. Completely unthinkable! Not in Münster. This duo – Professor Boerne and Inspector Thiel, characters in German TV’s “Tatort” crime series – are, along with Wilsberg, the off-beat investigator on the rival ZDF channel, among the city’s best-known and best-loved ambassadors.

It is precisely this delightful mix of tradition and modernity that gives Münster its special feeling. It is the same arc that is spanned by the “Courtyard” architecture of the LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur –the biggest of Münster’s more than 30 museums. Between them, they cover a spectrum ranging from the thousand-year-old Cathedral Treasures, to the very latest works on display in the Kunsthalle or created in or around the Art Academy. And right in the middle: Gerhard Richter’s artwork “Two Grey Double Mirrors for a Pendulum” – an oscillating Foucault pendulum, to be experienced in the deconsecrated Dominican Church (Dominikanerkirche), which is due to be closed briefly for renovation; a place of stillness, it has become a magnet for all those seeking a little rest and calm.

However, the city owes its reputation on the worldwide arts scene first and foremost to the “Skulptur Projekte, an event staged for the first time in 1977 and held every 10 years since then, that attracts hundreds of thousands of art lovers from the whole world, and whose leitmotiv is “art in public spaces”. This motto manifests itself in the over 60 sculptures – including works by Claes Oldenburg, Ilja Kabakov and Henry Moore – that can meanwhile be found dotted throughout the city.

But also in other ways, the public spaces in Münster are put to effective use as a stage. For example, when the local tradespeople invite the public to the long table for the traditional Hanseatic Repast. Or when “Schauraum”, the Festival of Museums and Galleries, conjures up a cool lounge atmosphere on a red carpet. Or at “Münster mittendrin”, the annual city festival, that does all honour to its name – with stages and stands scattered all over the Old Town. And also the cyclists in the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro and the runners in the Volksbank Münster Marathon are always keen to feel the atmosphere of the Prinzipalmarkt on entering the home straight. Alongside these established events, a vibrant young scene constantly finds new niches to use for its experiments: the “Hawerkamp”, for example, a former industrial site that has become a hot spot of the nationwide Independent scene, complete with its own clubs and festivals.

But for all the things to see and do, the Münster feeling also means always having air to breathe. Everywhere, whether on foot – and even more so by bicycle, Münster’s favourite means of transport – it is possible to find green refuges: on the Promenade, in the paradise of the Botanical Garden behind the Schloss, or by the Aasee Lake, where the outdoor steps and terraces also offer a hint of maritime flair. Or by venturing a little further out, into the park-like Münsterland countryside with its wonderful moated manor houses.

And back in the bustle of town, you can still decide what to do: A guided tour in the footsteps of the Anabaptists, perhaps? And what about this evening – go to the opera or take in the latest avant-garde dance event? Maybe stay in Münster for an extra day? Or make sure to come back again very soon?

Information:

www.stadt-muenster.de/en/tourismus

Münster – enchantingly old, excitingly young

1648 – is, for one thing, a date of historic importance for both Münster and the whole of Europe. But for another, 1648 is a place: youthful, light and bright, located high above the rooftops of the Old Town. “”1648” is the name given to the top floor of the Stadthaus, which has only recently been opened to the public, is in the heart of the city, offers breathtaking panoramic views, and is abolutely perfect for obtaining an overview of this ancient but incredibly youthful city. However, in order to experience it at first hand, you need to come down to ground level and experience the ban hustle and bustle of the Prinzipalmarkt.

Here, you only need to look round to see why Münster numbers among the “Historic Highlights of Germany”. With the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, which ended the 30 Years’ War, European history was written. And that is why, in testimony to this, Münster’s Historical Town Hall bears the “European Cultural Heritage Label”. The panorama of the gabled houses on Prinzipalmarkt, the mighty St. Paulus Cathedral, the baroque Schloss, the historical traces of the Anabaptists, the venerable churches and the elegant aristocratic houses – they all set their stamp on the cityscape.

But there is never any sense of being in a museum. The heartbeat of the 1200-year-old Hanseatic city is excitingly young. Bustling life and a constant stream of new faces is ensured by the around 60,000 students – who together account for a share of the population that is unmatched by any other city in Germany with over 300,000 inhabitants

Consequently, there are surprising contrasts to be found at every step: Germany’s only Picasso Museum behind the façade of the former town house of a member of the Westphalian nobility. Gerhard Richter’s pendulum installation in the nave of a deconsecrated church. Gems of baroque architecture standing side by side with icons of contemporary building design. Elegant shopping under the arcades of the Prinzipalmarkt, and farm produce on sale just around the corner at one of Europe’s loveliest outdoor markets. A young female musician as night watch(wo)man in one of the city’s oldest public offices. The TV investigator duo of Boerne and Thiel, of “Tatort” fame may be an “unlikely couple”, but they are among the city’s most popular ambassadors. It is this fascinating mix that gives Münster its charm: the combination of long-established tradition and a vibrant present.

Another source of fascination is the range of art and culture on offer, whether in the form of “Art in Public Spaces” which, in keeping with the leitmotiv of the Skulptur Projekte, can be found all over the city, or in one of the over 30 museums, or in the often temporary locations of a lively young scene. The Old Town and the Schloss provide wonderful settings for events of all kinds: from the traditional Hanseatic Repast and the Schauraum Museum Festival, to leading equestrian and top-class gastronomy events, all the way to the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro and the Volksbank Münster Marathon

Anyone wanting to pause and catch their breath will find – especially by bike, given that this is Münster’s favourite means of transport – green refuges everywhere: in the Schlossgarten, along the Promenade, or by the Aasee. Where they can then decide in peace: Take in the vernissage in the Kunsthalle this evening? Have a glass of “Alt” beer at Kiepenkerl – or maybe a cocktail in the docks? Stay another day? Or just make sure to come back again very soon?