 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MünsterGermany
Germany, facts and history in brief
Münster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. Population: 269.105 (30.06.2003), area 302.83 km². The University of Münster, founded in 1780, is the fourth biggest in Germany. History In 793 Charlemagne sent out as missionary the Frisian Liudger (later canonized) to convert the Saxons with whom he had been battling, offering as headquarters his recently demolished Frankish stronghold of Mimigernaford ("ford over the Aa river"), at the crossroads of the road from Cologne and the road to Frisia. Liutger was a product of Utrecht and the York school of Ethelbert, which produced many of the clerics who served in Charlemagne's chancelry. He built his church and cloister on the right bank of the Aa, on the height called the Horsteberg: it was the monastery ("monasterium") from which Münster derives its name. In 805 Liudger travelled to Rome to be ordained a bishop, and soon founded a school. The combination of ford and crossroad, marketplace, episcopal administration center, library and school, established Münster as an important center. In the Middle Ages Münster was a leading member of the Hanseatic League. In 1534 the Anabaptists took power in the Münster Rebellion and founded a democratic proto-socialistic state. The town was recaptured in 1535; the Anabaptists were tortured to death, their dead bodies were exhibited in cages, which still hang from St. Lamberti's steeple. The signing of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 at Münster and Osnabrück guaranteed the future of the prince-bishop and the diocese; the area was to be exclusively Roman Catholic. In 1780 the University of Münster was founded. In 1802 Münster was conquered by Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. It became the capital of the Prussian province of Westphalia. In World War II Münster was mostly destroyed by Allied air raids, but it was rebuilt after the war in an ancient style. From 1974 onward, the city was the residence of the American artist Moondog, who idolized postwar Germany. Münster was part of
West Germany during the
Cold War.
This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Münster) September
2005 Hui Chin and I visited our relations in Singapore
and Hungary during 2005. The city is not half bad. As a matter of fact a bit like bride - something old, something new, something borrowed etc. I understand after the Allied bombings during WWII, not much of the beautiful old town was left, but was carefully rebuilt much the same as before, for us to admire. Good thinking, Münster fathers. You can click on
these photos for an enlargement.
Site Index Back to Top Photos Index Thanks for coming, I hope you
have enjoyed it, will recommend
it to your friends, and will come
back later to see my site developing
and expanding.
|
