Münster, the cultural centre of the Westphalia region, is situated on the river Aa, approximately 15km south of its confluence with the Ems in the Westphalian Bight, a landscape studded with dispersed settlements and farms, the so-called Münsterland. Its roots can be traced back to the 6th century, but the city officially came into existence in 793, when Frisian missionary Liudger founded the "Monasterium" cloister.
Münster's development into a religious Christian centre in Westphalia went hand in hand with its increased significance as a commercial and political hub. The city enjoyed its economic heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries as an outpost of the Hanseatic League. The Prinzipalmarkt with the historic Town Hall, which was completed around 1350, continues to testify to the success and self-assurance of the merchant community.
Two events which took place in Münster are destined to remain forever etched on the world’s historic memory. John of Leiden founded the Anabaptist theocracy in Münster in 1534, and declared himself king. The reign of the Anabaptist, a radical Christian reform movement, met a bloody end when Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck suppressed the faction's adherents. It was also the site of the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years' War in 1648.
About 91% of the Old Town and 63% of the entire city was destroyed by Allied air raids in WWII, but the city was the subject of an extensive historical reconstruction after 1945. It was enhanced by new buildings which made international headlines. In the last decades, Münster has developed from an administrative city to the economic, scientific and service industry hub of a region with 1.5 million inhabitants. Currently there are 300,000 people living in the city, with about 55,500 students.
About the stamps
The stamps belong to the set Blumen, about which I wrote here.
References
Münster - Wikipedia
Sender: Jorn Hegner (direct swap)
Sent from Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia / Germany), on 01.12.2017
Photos: Muddemann / F.J. Nasch
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