MÜNSTER
History 

History   I   Sightseeing   I   Practical   I  Hotels in Münster  

(Information hereunder courtesy of  Historic Highlights of Germany - an excellent tourist guide for the Münster area)

The history of Münster begins with Charlemagne and the Frisian missionary Liudger. The Emperor sent him to convert the Saxon tribe to Christianity. And so Liudger made his base in the Frankish stronghold of Mimigernaford. In 805 he was ordained a bishop and founded the monastery known as "Monasterium". Münster owes him its name and its monumental St. Paul's Cathedral. In its present form, the cathedral is essentially a work of the 13th century. Especially worth seeing is the massive figure of St. Christopher with a real tree in his hand, and the astronomical clock – a wonderwork of the late Middle Ages, whose calendar extends till the year 2071.

The 14th century Town Hall with historic Friedenssaal (Hall of Peace), in which the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia was concluded, is in the heart of the city on Prinzipalmarkt. Also "must" attractions are the splendid Baroque buildings by Johann Conrad Schlaun, Westphalia's great Baroque master builder. His chief work is the Castle (Prince Bishop's Residence), whose completion he unfortunately did not live to see. The Erbdrostenhof and the Church of St. Clemens, reminiscent of the Italian Baroque, are further gems of his creative spirit. Together with the Dominican Church they form the "Baroque Island" in the city center. The centuries have seen numerous rebirths of Münster.

In 1780 Minister Franz von Fürstenberg founded the University, which has always enjoyed an outstanding reputation and whose 53,000 students enrich the city's life. Through the work of educator Bernhard Overberg, Münster earned the reputation of an exemplary scholastic town. Centered around Fürstenberg and Princess Amalie Gallitzin was a salon which cultivated contacts with other centers of German intellectual life.