Historic town hall of Münster
The historic town hall of Münster in Westphalia on Prinzipalmarkt is one of the city's landmarks , along with St. Paulus Cathedral .
Münster's town hall became famous during the negotiations for the Peace of Westphalia in Münster and Osnabrück , which ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe. At the same time, it is the birthplace of the modern Netherlands , as the 80-year Spanish-Dutch War ended with the Peace of Munster during the Congress on May 15, 1648 . At the same time as the Netherlands, Switzerland left the Holy Roman Empire . Until the extensive destruction of the original structure in the Second World War , it was and has again been considered one of the most important secular architectural monuments of the Gothic period since the reconstruction .
On April 15, 2015, the European Commission recognized the key role of the Peace of Westphalia for a united Europe by awarding the town halls in Münster and Osnabrück with the European Heritage Seal as “sites of the Peace of Westphalia” .
The town hall is one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Munster. In 2012, for example, around 120,000 visitors were counted.
history
Since all documents in the city's archives and their history were destroyed during the rule of the Anabaptists in 1534 and 1535, all information up until the 1530s is based on documents that were kept outside the city or the city archive. Accordingly, the historical sections cannot be precisely dated back to the 1530s.
Emergence
When Münster was granted city rights around 1170 , the council members of the city council, i.e. judges and lay judges, needed a place where assemblies and courts could be held. The first simple building was built directly opposite the Michaelistor zur Domburg and the episcopal cathedral area near the Prinzipalmarkt . This was created a few years earlier in the middle of the 12th century. This first construction of a town hall was a simple and quickly erected half-timbered building. It can be assumed that it was built around 1170 or shortly after, in order to be able to provide the council members with their own meeting building as quickly as possible.
When the Prinzipalmarkt was first parceled out, the space for a town hall was presumably kept free at this location - at that time in agreement with the bishop as town and state lord - because on old cadastral maps at the position of the town hall there was a free area twice as wide as the other buildings is noted. The choice of this position shows the high self-confidence of the citizens of Münster, who were represented by their exclusive and wealthy city nobility, the so-called hereditary men , as they put the town hall in direct line of sight to the St. Paulus Cathedral and the episcopal palace built to emphasize their striving for freedom and the right to self-government over the bishop. For the bishop himself, however, the later very splendid design of the town hall in this place was more like an open provocation, as he had to look at the town hall of the citizens on the way from his palace to the cathedral. The self-confidence of the citizens towards their episcopal sovereign should also be emphasized towards the end of the 14th century, when the town hall was also to be decorated with a magnificent facade.
This initial half-timbered building still stood at a distance of around 12 m from the Marktstrasse of the Prinzipalmarkt and was probably replaced by a solid stone building measuring 14.50 m × 18 m before the year 1200. This building is documented for the first time as a meeting place of the lay judges in 1250. Its lower part, the council chamber, is also known as the Friedenssaal . At the beginning of the 14th century, another building was built right up to the Prinzipalmarkt in front of the existing building in order to provide the citizens with a place for meetings. The extension towards the front can be traced back to the increased self-confidence of the citizens who no longer wanted to “hide” with their town hall in the row of houses on the Prinzipalmarkt. This community hall was probably built around the year 1320, when u. a. Johann III. vondeckebrock was mayor. Towards the end of the 14th century, probably around 1395, the hall was extended by a 4 m long porch that protrudes into the market. This porch was and is supported by five round pillars directly on the roadside. It is part of the characteristic arcade of the Prinzipalmarkt. Its facade was decorated with valuable decorations, in particular the so-called display gable.
16th century to World War II
In the years 1576 and 1577 the roof of the rear part of the building over the council chamber and the armory above was rebuilt. The original gable roof in north-south direction was removed and replaced by a new gable roof in east-west direction like that of the front part of the building. The master craftsmen involved in the renovation can be recognized by their master's mark in blue clinker bricks in the east gable. In addition to the "Gruthaus" to the east of the town hall, an extension was built, which was also known as the "small council chamber", "Stoveken" ("parlor", from 1602) or "winter council chamber" (1773/76) and consisted of two floors. It owed its designation as a winter council chamber to the problem of heating the council chamber: while the council members sitting near the fireplace were drenched in sweat, those at the other end of the room froze. In the winter months, council meetings were therefore often moved to the small council chamber. This extension, which was expanded by a third floor in 1892, has not existed since it was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in the 1950s. It was replaced by a new stair tower.
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The town hall became famous next to the Osnabrück town hall during the Westphalian Peace Congress between 1643 and 1648, which ended the Thirty Years War in Europe. In preparation for the congress, the city was declared neutral. On May 27, 1643, the imperial councilor Johann Krane read the emperor's declaration of neutrality in the council chamber, and a representative of the prince-bishop read a corresponding declaration. She released the city from its duties towards the kingdom and the prince-bishopric for the duration of the negotiations . The more than 150 envoys who had gradually traveled to the congress were given a city reception in the council chamber. They were greeted with a drink from a goblet, the so-called "Golden Rooster". For the occasion of the negotiations, the painter and artist Everhard Alerdinck was commissioned to beautify the town hall. To do this, he repainted the gable in 1646 with oil paint and "illuminated" it with white lead. The name Friedenssaal, which is commonly used today, has been used for the council chamber since the 18th century . However, the Peace of Westphalia was neither negotiated nor ratified in the town hall. At most, the Peace of Munster of May 15, 1648 was invoked in the Council Chamber by exchanging the signed contracts. It is considered to be the hour of birth of the Netherlands after Spain and the seven Dutch provinces made peace after the Eighty Years War and the Netherlands was granted independence. Otherwise, the town hall also served the ambassadors for regular meetings outside of the negotiations in the individual quarters.
Towards the end of the 1850s, the desire arose for a municipal ballroom on the upper floor of the town hall. To this end, the attic should be included, which was largely unused until then. On April 29, 1858, the city council decided to first get a sketch and a cost estimate. The renovation was decided on December 12, 1858 and drafts were requested from the building inspector Hauptner and the railway inspector Keil. The start of construction was delayed, among other things, because the commissioned builder Julius Carl Raschdorff refused and changes made to the building plan were postponed due to political circumstances. Three designs were commissioned for these changes. They were presented to the responsible government building officer Wilhelm Salzenberg on October 25, 1860, but they all disapproved. In his report of February 21, 1861, it was said that they lacked “dignity, architectural style and the artful connection to the front gable” . At the same time he submitted his own alternative draft, which the city council decided to implement. A large hall with a barrel vault was created on the upper floor . The state building maintenance manager Gustav Wolf judged this intervention in 1949 in the local press ( Westfälische Nachrichten ) as negative, because in his opinion the clear separation between the building rectangle and roof triangle and thus the harmony between inside and outside was destroyed.
Destruction and rebuilding
During the air raids on Münster in World War II , the town hall was hit by several bombs on October 28, 1944 and burned out completely. When the viewing gable was no longer supported by the supporting roof, it collapsed at around 6:25 p.m. and, according to eyewitnesses, fell in full length onto the Prinzipalmarkt. Only the lower arches and the arcades of the two outer tracery windows have been preserved. After the war, it took some time before the financial means for reconstruction were available. In addition, a large part of the rubble had been cleared away as part of the clean-up work and the rebuilding and thus lost. The remaining parts of the gable front were finally torn down for the reconstruction.
In 1948 it was decided to first restore the Friedenssaal on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia. In 1942, as a precautionary measure, the entire paneling , the ceiling and the inventory of the Friedenssaal were relocated to Wöbbel Castle in Lippe , but the ornate windows and the splendid fireplace in the south wall were not removed and thus destroyed. The lost chimney was replaced by that of the Krameramtshaus , which was roughly the same size and age as the destroyed chimney.
Still under the impression of the celebrations of the Peace Week in Munster, voices soon increased in the citizenry demanding that the reconstruction of the town hall no longer be delayed. The “Association of the Merchants' Association of Münster from 1835” approached the city with the concern of rebuilding. Shortly before, at his first meeting after the end of the war on November 23, 1948, he had decided to take the initiative. A limited competition was held to which three architects from Münster were invited. For this competition there was no clear room definition and no specifications regarding the question of the hall of the ballroom, i.e. whether the original flat ceiling or Salzenberg's barrel vault. After the three architects had submitted their proposals, there was a second round of competition in which various possible solutions for a ballroom with a barrel vault were to be worked out. Although the architect Heinrich Bartmann emerged as the winner of the competitions, the plans were not implemented due to lack of funds. The city administration considered investing the scarce funds in urgently needed infrastructure objects, such as the water and gas supply, schools and hospitals, to be more important than the reconstruction of the town hall.
Reconstruction only began in 1950, when the city agreed to the merchant's initiative in May to carry out the reconstruction without financial support from the city and to set up a “Committee for the Reconstruction of the City Hall of Münster”. The laying of the foundation stone took place on July 9th. More than 30,000 people attended the celebrations, including the former Chancellor and honorary citizen of the city of Münster, Heinrich Brüning . Financing was made a matter for all citizens. Everyone was called to contribute material and monetary donations or manual work. The approval of this project of reconstruction exceeded all expectations. A specially initiated town hall lottery, which was held eight times, was able to collect DM 873,000, with each ticket costing 50 pfennigs. This sum was almost half of the total cost. But not only in Münster, but also in the Münsterland and large parts of Westphalia, euphoria about the rebuilding that had begun spread. Many donations came from other cities as well as from trade and industry outside of Münster.
Heinrich Benteler was responsible for the land-use planning and was also in charge of the reconstruction of St. Paulus Cathedral . He spoke out against a "faithful" reconstruction . Instead, he favored modeled facade elements, which differ from the original only in minor details. The construction itself also differed from that of the original town hall. The structure consists of concrete girders and brick walls, which are provided with thin sandstone slabs on the outside. Only the gable itself consists of real Baumberger sandstone.
Heinrich Bartmann was initially responsible for the interior work, and later Edmund Scharf, the municipal building maintenance specialist. The state building maintenance officer intervened against the city's request to put in a vaulted ceiling in the ballroom. A flat wooden beam ceiling was installed, which corresponded to the original design from the 14th century. Two years after the foundation stone was laid, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated on July 9, 1952 . In 1953 the east gable facing Syndikatsplatz and a few months later the stair tower with access to the Friedenssaal was completed. The gable facade on Prinzipalmarkt was completed in October 1954 . On October 30, 1958, on the 310th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia, the entire building was completed.
The public's judgment was largely positive. But there were also some critical voices, for example in the Frankfurter Allgemeine (November 11, 1958): “What the lead architect came up with is a completely trivial mixture of a large bank and a grand hotel, here and there with a local wrought iron touch. Munster can show the new interior of the old town hall seems useful at most for home use. "His cathedral, the theater and the Hall of Peace As with the reconstructions of other historic buildings at Münster Prinzipalmarkt that were destroyed by the war, is both by some historians as well as architects accused of historicizing facade architecture; after all, from a technical point of view, they are new buildings of lost models (replicas). Nevertheless, the people of Münster were and are proud of their new "historic" town hall. The reconstruction of the town hall, at that time also known as a "resurrection from the rubble", became a symbol of overcoming the war damage in Münster and beyond.
After a restoration of the gable in 1992, reconstructions of the town hall and the town wine house in 1997 as well as restorations of the gable and other parts in its lower area in 2002 and 2004, another large-scale restoration took place in 2006. For this purpose, the entire gable facing the Prinzipalmarkt was scaffolded. In order to enable the residents of Münster and the tourists to see the town hall, two companies based in Münster gave the city a 538 m² poster showing the front of the building on a 1: 1 scale and with which the scaffolding was clad.
In the summer of 2011 it became known that after the first attempt in 2002, the city of Münster is again striving to obtain the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site and the European Heritage Seal for the Town Hall . At the beginning of July 2012 it emerged that the intended appointment could not be achieved again. The reason for this is that the structural substance of the town hall is not original, but it was rebuilt after the Second World War. Therefore, an attempt was then started to achieve recognition for the city center as a European cultural heritage. In December 2013 it was confirmed that Münster and Osnabrück had been proposed as “sites of the Peace of Westphalia” by the German Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs to the European Commission for awarding the European Heritage Seal. For the first time, the seal awarded in 2015 was not awarded to special historical buildings, but to German cities. This ultimately made it possible to realize the city's wish to express the intangible value of the Peace of Westphalia through the award, because the town hall is “the place where international law was born” .
In September 2013 the 840 m² and extremely steep roof, which measures 15 meters from the attic to the roof ridge, was re-covered with hollow pans from East Westphalia for the first time since the reconstruction . The costs for this amounted to around 140,000 euros.
Architecture and appearance
structure
Viewed vertically, the building has four floors: an arcade and main floor as well as a cellar and an attic. If the town hall is viewed from a horizontal perspective, there are three areas of use on the lower arcade floor and two areas in the upper main floor. On the arcade floor, these are the arched hall with the display gable above , followed by the citizens' hall and the council chamber behind it , which has also been known as the peace hall since the 18th century . The main floor is in the front area to the Prinzipalmarkt and behind the gable is the ballroom of the town hall. The armory is located in the back above the council chamber .
facade
The ornate facade of Baumberger sandstone in the style of Gothic towers with a height of 31 meters beyond the actual roof of City Hall. Fabio Chigi , papal peace mediator during the negotiations for the Peace of Westphalia, wrote about them: "The gable of the magnificent town hall protrudes far beyond the other roofs and seems to almost touch the sky" . The valuable and splendid decorations, which were otherwise only to be found on church buildings due to the high cost, were intended to increase the self-confidence and claim to power of the citizens towards their bishop in addition to the location of the town hall. The construction of such an expensive facade was only possible during a period of economic prosperity and was therefore estimated to have originated towards the end of the 14th century, when the city of Münster experienced a strong economic boom through membership in the Hanseatic League . The continuity in the city council and in particular the mayor's office, which until the 17th century was only occupied by hereditary men , with Johann III should also be helpful . vondeckebrock (8 times between 1312 and 1339), Johann von Kerckerinck (26 times between 1371 and 1399), Johann von Warendorp (31 times between 1379 and 1418), Johann IV. Droste zu Hülshoff (3 times 1402, 1421 and 1431), Johann VII. Droste zu Hülshoff (twice, 1494 and 1502), Everwin II. Von Droste zu Handorf (between 1525 and 1534) and Bernhard II. Von Droste zu Hülshoff (continuously from 1605 to 1619) during that time.
The structure of the facade is divided into three levels: arcade storey, main storey and gable storey. In addition, they can be divided into two groups: The archway consisting of the arcade floor and the viewing gable consisting of the main floor and the gable floor. Each of these levels has been changed several times over the course of time through destruction, repairs and restorations. While the meanings of the decorations on the lower two levels are almost clear, there are several, sometimes contradicting theories for the pictorial program of the display gable at the height of the gable storey.
Arcade floor
The facade of the arcade floor consists of four pointed arcades and is supported by five round columns. Originally, the capitals of the columns showed symbolic animal and plant ornaments that were supposed to represent symbols of virtues and vices. They were distributed on the pillars as follows: The left-hand capital was decorated with oak leaves, the symbol of stability and durability. The capital to the right of it was decorated with the mythical creatures Siren, Basilisk, Dragon and Onocentaur, the symbols of Satan for deceit, death, sin and falsehood. The center pillar contained a capital depicting gentleness, strength, courage and renewal, represented by panthers, lions, eagles and phoenixes. To the right of this, the capital showed the symbols of the damned in the demon forest, represented by four sheet masks. The capital of the right and last column was decorated with vine leaves, the symbol of temperance and wisdom.
However, these original decorations on the capitals are no longer preserved after the town hall was badly damaged in World War II. In the course of the restoration they were only replaced by simple decorations in 1963/64 due to ignorance of the meanings of the symbols. The capitals of the two corner pillars were decorated with crab decorations and the middle one received an allegorical representation of the four elements water, air, wind and fire. The capital on the left of the middle shows the leaders of the Anabaptists and that on the right of the middle shows the four ages. In addition to these changes, the five round columns were lengthened by 65 cm during the restoration.
The areas between the individual arcades were decorated with paintings until 1824. Then they were painted over on the recommendation of the building inspector Teuto as well as the mayor and the municipal council. The first version of the painting can be determined for the second quarter of the 15th century. The spaces in between were decorated with five circles, each 1.88 m in diameter. In the middle there was probably a black eagle like in the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire. However, it could not be clearly verified. The gaps on both sides of the coat of arms were decorated with the monastery coat of arms of the Principality of Münster . However, this installation was more than unusual, as the citizens of the city always tried to maintain their independence from the prince-bishop's ruler. Together with the seal capsule and the coat of arms of the then Bishop Heinrich II von Moers in the two outer fields between the arcades, it is reasonable to assume that they were created around 1447. At that time Heinrich II's brother, Archbishop Dietrich II von Moers of Cologne , was anxious to restore his rule. For fear of a possible siege, the city could have submitted to Henry II out of anticipatory obedience, who then ordered the appropriate coat of arms to be affixed to the town hall.
Dietrich Moll changed this original painting in 1588. In the course of the beautification of the town hall for the negotiations on the Peace of Westphalia, the painter Everhard Alerdinck renewed it in 1646. The last renewal took place in 1780 by Johann Georg Legleitner. In the middle of these paintings was the crowned Charlemagne in full armor with sword and double-eagle shield. The two surrounding areas of the arcades were decorated by two knights who bore the coat of arms of the city of Münster. Outside there were two other knights who pay homage to the emperor with their helmets removed.
Main floor
The main floor is largely dominated by the four large tracery windows in the form of pointed arcades, behind which the large ballroom is located. It is based on the division of the arcade floor. Since the reconstruction in 1950, there has been no picture decoration between the windows, which has adorned this level for centuries.
It is not known whether this is the original appearance. However, it has been handed down from the end of the 16th century that during the time of the Anabaptists in 1535, figures of bishops were smashed at the location of the town hall as part of the iconoclasm . Around 1646 the town hall was embellished during the Congress of the Peace of Westphalia, with the part of the facade being redesigned in color and the fields between the windows being provided with figures. The Münster sculptor Johann Katmann made five life-size canopy statues of Jesus Christ, Mary, Archangel Michael and the bishops Ludgerus and Lambertus .
The figures experienced multiple changes until the town hall was destroyed in World War II. In the original version by Katmann, Jesus Christ was placed in the center, surrounded by Mary on the right and Archangel Michael on his left. On the right outside was the figure of Bishop Ludgerus and on the left outside the figure of Bishop Lambertus. Both were equipped with episcopal regalia , a miter and a shepherd's staff . In addition, Ludgerus carried a model of St. Ludgeri and Lambertus carried an arrow as a tool of his martyrdom. Probably due to severe weathering, the figures were replaced by versions by Bernhard Allard in 1865/66. Of these renewed figures, only the two bishops are left. Since they were attached to the outside, they survived the collapse of the gable after the destruction in October 1944. They have been hanging on the north and south sides of the building since the town hall was rebuilt.
Gable floor
The gable floor with the attic behind it is divided into seven axes that rise up in steps. With the exception of the central axis, they are all drawn up as blind arcades and provided with a total of six blind windows in the form of an arcade. Two of them are located one above the other to the left and right of the center and one each in the corresponding next axis. In the central axis there are three niches arranged one above the other, also in the form of an arcade. Until 1774, wooden doors closed the openings that made it possible to store and retrieve goods in the attic.
The seven axes of the gable storey are divided by eight narrow pillars ending in pinnacles , which rise above the axes and are connected to the respective neighboring pillars with filigree decorations. The four central and highest pillars were drawn to the same height, most likely to avoid monotony.
Figures and image program
There are figures on the individual tips of the pegs: four angels at the top, two standing figures on the middle and a blowing guard and a watcher on the lower pegs.
In addition to the figures on the pinnacles, there are other decorations on the facade. At the top of the gable is a portrait of the often mistakenly so-called " Coronation of Mary ". The term Coronation of Mary can therefore be described as wrong, because Mary already wears the crown on her head while sitting at the same height as Jesus Christ. An interpretation as a coronation ceremony would only be conceivable in connection with the four angels of the pinnacles protruding above the Marian shrine, as it was attempted in different ways from the 12th century onwards. Most likely the version would apply in which Mary sits at the same height next to Jesus Christ and her crown is placed on her by an angel floating from above. In many cases this image was supported by angels playing music or waving incense, which would be represented by the angels on the upper pinnacles of the Munster town hall. However, the depiction of the angel floating down is not available in Münster and the coronation ceremony is therefore questionable. An interpretation and interpretation of the picture is also so difficult because the representation has been repeatedly changed by repairs over time. Since the original representation has not survived either, one can only speculate about the true background and meaning of the picture. According to recent theories, it may have served to bring hope to the city's citizens in a time of plague, war and misery. The theological references to the pictorial program on the gable have not yet been fully clarified. The art-historical significance of the gable, however, is clear. There are indeed many comparable representations on European churches and cathedrals between the end of the 12th century and the 16th century - but such a representation is unique on a secular building.
Directly below is the portrait of a king with a scepter and orb. It is controversial among experts whether this is King Solomon or Charlemagne. The coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire , the double-headed eagle, can be seen under his feet . A little lower, on both sides of the gable, is the coat of arms of the city of Münster, which is held by griffins facing each other .
Similar to the appearance of the rest of the facade, the pictorial program of the gable has been subject to several changes over the centuries. Of the original decoration on the gable, only a heavily weathered statue of Mary from the image of the "Coronation of Mary" and the king figure with the head renewed in 1865 remain. Both figures are exhibited in the town hall's community hall.
Interpretation model by Josef Vennemann
Viewed individually, the figures and images do not seem to be related to each other or, in the case of the Mariaenschreins, only partially. The former city dean Josef Vennemann presented a useful interpretation model for the image program of the facade at his celebratory sermon for the completed reconstruction of the town hall on October 30, 1958, after all the images of the gable are chronologically related and describe the arrival of the Messiah.
The first time period is marked by the figures on the pegs , starting with the two outer ones. The distant guard and the blowing guard look out for the Messiah during the "stage of expectation". In the liturgy of the fourth Sunday in Advent according to Joel 2: 1, it says “Blow the trumpet on Zion! Because the day of the Lord is near! ” And in the liturgy of the first Sunday in Advent “ I look into the distance. Behold, the power of God is coming ” .
The next level, the "level of promise," is described by the middle level of the pegs. The figures represent Moses and Elias , who were considered heralds of Jesus Christ in the Middle Ages.
At the highest level, the "level of fulfillment" takes place with the coronation of Jesus Christ in the interplay of the four worshiping angels on the upper four pinnacles and the image of the "Coronation of Mary" below.
Earthly power stands directly under the image of the spiritual ruler with the image of a king. While it is quite controversial whether it is a portrait of King Solomon or Charlemagne, the Vennemann model describes it as that of Charlemagne, to whom the city of Münster is supposed to be founded. The assumption is justified by the representation of the figure with the high bow-shaped crown characteristic of him and the imperial coat of arms of the double eagle directly at his feet, although this only since the time of Frederick III. was used towards the end of the 15th century.
The two griffins as bearers of the coat of arms of the city of Münster are also related to this. A griffin as a composite animal in mythology consisting of a lion, the symbol for earth, and an eagle, the symbol for air, represents Jesus Christ at the same time, since he is on the one hand human (earth), but on the other hand also divine (air). By embracing the coat of arms, they increase the importance of the city towards their bishop, since figuratively they are in direct correspondence with its founder Charlemagne, bypassing the bishop.
Arch hall
The arch hall is the upstream, open and covered part directly between the four pointed arcades of the facade and the community hall about 4 m behind. It was probably built around 1395 as part of the extension of the ballroom on the main floor. Until the beginning of the 17th century it served as weather protection for the city judge appointed by the bishop and his two assessors appointed by the city, since according to the Saxon law in the form of the Saxon mirror, which was also applicable in Münster, a court hearing had to take place in the open air. A court arbor to protect against the weather was therefore not necessary in Münster and accordingly did not exist. From 1586 a small courtroom was set up in the northern part of the arch hall. The background to this installation was the desire for a shorter connection between the high court meeting in the council chamber and the lower court meeting in front of the town hall. In 1599, the so-called "guard house" followed in the southern part of the arch hall.
After the conflict with Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen and the capitulation of the city in 1661, the courtroom was used as the seat of the military main guard. Since von Galen Münster withdrew all rights and thus also the jurisdiction, this room was no longer needed. Since then, it has also been called the "Officer's Room". This main guard had its seat in the town hall for almost 200 years and did not leave it until January 29, 1847, when the town guard moved to the neighboring town wine house. However, both the courtroom and the guard house were removed from the arched hall around 1803.
Citizen Hall
The Bürgerhalle was created as a meeting room for the citizens of Münster. It was added to the side of the council chamber facing the Prinzipalmarkt around 1335. An exact year is not known. However, since 1337 at the latest, the town hall has been divided into two parts, after which the councilors gathered in the rear part of the town hall.
The Bürgerhalle is essentially a single large room, the ceiling of which is supported by four support pillars. It is therefore used for events and smaller exhibitions. The tourist information is also located in the hall. On the left side of the back wall, a stone staircase leads up to the neighboring town wine house, built in 1615 and 1616, and into the large ballroom. On the right side is the door to the Council Chamber, also known as the Peace Hall. The massive lintel above the door bears the inscription “Pax Optima Rerum” - “Peace is the highest good”. However, it differs significantly from the original fall, which was destroyed in World War II. That one had a massive structure in triangular shape with a width of 2 m and a height of 1.37 m. On it was the coat of arms of the city of Münster in the decorative setting, that is, the coat of arms shield with a fanned helmet, held by a lion on either side. Above that, the lintel was decorated with a woman's head, and to the left and right of the two lions, each with a naked putti with a horn of plenty and a shield.
The hall also features parts of armor and weapons owned by the city as well as a replica of the sending sword after the original sword was stolen by thieves on the night of October 24, 2000 and has not yet been found. Other exhibits include a heavily weathered sculpture from the image of the “Coronation of the Virgin” and the sculpture of the king, both of which come from the image program of the display gable and were replaced as part of restoration work.
Council Chamber (Friedenssaal)
The council chamber, also known as the Friedenssaal since the 18th century , is a 10 m × 15 m large hall, which is paneled all around in wood in the Renaissance style . The floor is tiled in gray as a contrast to the warm wood. The paneling on the long sides of the hall, i. H. the west wall and the east window wall, built in 1577, can be seen from a panel on the entrance door to the hall.
This door of the west wall is also decorated with the image of Salvator, the figure of the risen Jesus Christ . The paneling was designed by Hermann tom Ring , an important Westphalian painter of the 16th century. Next to the entrance door on the west wall is a bench that can seat twelve people. The paneling above the seats along the wall shows images of Jesus Christ, the twelve apostles and Paul , the namesake of St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster. The pictures can be seen in the following order: Bartholomäus , Thomas , Andreas , Jakobus the Younger , Matthew , Philip , Peter , Jesus Christ, Johannes , Jakobus the Elder , Simon , Judas Thaddäus , Matthias and Paulus. The individual pictures are separated from each other by narrow columns, which are connected at the top by a decorated triangular gable.
Four large windows are let into the east wall , the window wall. The original diamond glazing, which contained a total of eight allegorical figures of the divine and cardinal virtues and which was destroyed with the rest of the town hall in October 1944, has been replaced by simple tinted glazing. The wall surfaces are paneled like the west wall. The paneling consists of three different subject areas: The four surfaces of the pillars that point into the room show the images of the four evangelists in the usual order of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They were created after engravings by the artist Heinrich Aldegrever from 1549. The northernmost window niche shows the image of Moses as the legislator. The remaining seven sides of the window niche describe the seven liberal arts Grammatica , Dialectica , Arithmetica , Rhetorica , Musica , Geometrica and Astronomica , which were taught at a university. As on the opposite west wall, these images are also delimited by narrow columns on both sides and connected to one another via an ornate triangular gable. Below the paneling there is a bench facing the room that can seat 14 people.
As with the gable, a connection can be made between the individual images of the wood paneling. When they were created almost 40 years after the reign of the Anabaptists in Münster, they can be seen as a reminder of what peaceful coexistence on a Christian basis can look like: Faith in Jesus Christ and the resurrection, the spread of faith through the twelve apostles and the historical transmission by the four evangelists. The most important laws are established by Moses and the Ten Commandments . On the other hand, there is good education on the secular side, as taught at a university.
The north wall is largely dominated by a large wall unit. In front of the wall cupboard is a judge's table and the mayor's bench, on which the two mayors, i.e. the town councilor and the town clerk, sat. A total of 22 small compartments are set in two rows one above the other in the wall unit. These are divided into twelve compartments on the left and ten compartments on the right and decorated with illustrations. Four of them show biblical scenes, six show figures of saints as patrons of parish churches in Münster, three are provided with heraldic images and seven are decorated with human vices. Two more cannot be assigned to a specific group. The exact arrangement is shown in the following table. The compartments seem to have been created around the year 1536, some possibly even earlier, recognizable by the attachment of the fittings. These have obviously been changed during assembly. Obviously, earlier furnishings were brought together when the room was redesigned. In the middle there are no cupboards, but a cross with Jesus Christ, whose body was held in white. Before this cross, dated 1540, all councilors and city officials were and still are sworn in.
| Left wall unit (west side) | |||||
| Mary Magdalene with an ointment box and pouch (patron) | Drinking, staggering man (alcoholism) | Saint George standing on a kite and swinging the sword (patron) | Samson sitting on a lion and tearing his throat open (Old Testament) | Jonas emerging from the mouth of a fish (Old Testament) | Two standing wolves with a split shield (heraldry) |
| Saint Martin on horseback and the beggar (patron) | Saint Lambertus, as he is stabbed from behind standing in front of an altar (patron) | A doe fleeing to St. Aegidius and a hunter aiming at them with a bow and arrow (patron) | Saint Ludgerus with a model of his church and his geese (patron) | A couple quarreling (lust for power) | Sitting lion holding a coat of arms of the city of Münster (heraldry) |
| Right wall unit (east side) | ||||
| Seated griffin with empty coat of arms (heraldry) | Two headless men fighting over a head (quarrelsome) | Samson with raised gate leaves (Old Testament) | Landsknecht with broken off halberd, who approaches a fool playing bagpipes (stupidity) | A man who carries away a corpse dressed only in a loincloth (no assignment) |
| A woman hits a bear with a club (defenselessness) | Dog with a bone in its mouth (no assignment) | Joshua and Karleb with a huge bunch of grapes (Old Testament) | Two fighting monkeys. The left with a club, the right with an ax. (Rowdy) | A man wields a sword over a man sitting on the ground (rowdy) |
The wall cladding above the actual cabinet consists of 22 fields. While the nine left (west side) and seven right (east side) are decorated with simple wooden folds, the middle six are decorated with wood carvings. The left of them has three interlaced circles filled with foliage. It is followed by a field in which artfully carved in Gothic letters "ihs" as the abbreviation for Jesus Christ. The field to the left of the center shows the coat of arms of the Principality of Münster in the colors gold - red - gold and a helmet decorated with buffalo horns, while the one to the right of the center shows the coat of arms of the city of Münster in the colors gold - red - silver and a helmet decorated with a fan . As a counterpart to the field dedicated to Jesus Christ, there is one dedicated to Mary and bearing the inscription "ma". The last of the decorated fields consists of two circles. The lower circle contains a dove, the upper one is reminiscent of the depiction of a cretin from Goethe's Götz-von-Berlichingen .
There is a mighty chimney on the south wall . However, this is not the original from 1577, as it was destroyed together with the town hall in October 1944. He showed a representation of the Solomonic judgment from the Bible ( 1st Book of Kings , chapter 3, verses 16-28). Instead, there is now the chimney of the Krameramtshaus from 1621. This shows the parable of the rich and poor Lazaraus ( Gospel according to Luke , chapter 16, verses 19–31). The fireplace has a large gable in the upper part, which was decorated with the person of Justitia with sword and scales. In addition to symbols and emblems of trade and shipping on the sides of the chimney, a cast-iron stove plate commemorates the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia. It shows a pillow with a crown and a scepter on it, above it three doves with an olive branch in their beak. In addition, there is an inscription on the plate: "Anno 1648. Pax optima rerum, October 24th." Loosely translated this inscription means: "Peace is the highest good, October 24th, 1648".
37 portraits of the sovereigns and emissaries during the negotiations for the Peace of Westphalia hang above the bench seats on the west wall and on the south wall. 29 of them are hanging on the west wall, 25 of them to the right of the entrance door with the large vestibule and four to the left. On the south wall between the west wall and the fireplace hang another six pictures and two to the left of the fireplace. The sequence begins at the top right on the west wall with Emperor Ferdinand III. and the two peace mediators Alvise Contarini and Fabio Chigi , followed by his imperial envoys and spa Bohemia, the envoys from France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. This is followed by six electoral emissaries of the German Empire (the six portraits to the right of the fireplace), Johann Rudolf Wettstein as envoy of the city of Basel and representative of the Swiss Confederation, and Johann von Reumont , the city commander of the city of Münster at that time and responsible for the security of the Congress participants (both to the left of the fireplace). As part of the extensive restoration work for the 350th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia in 1998, digits were discovered in the pictures. Since it is assumed that they indicate the original order, the pictures were re-hung in that order after the work was completed. It therefore differs from the order on older photos of the Friedenssaal. The following two tables illustrate the corrected suspension:
| Netherlands | Sweden | Spain | France | Imperial ambassadors, Spa Bohemia | Kaiser, peace broker | |||||||
| Johann von Mathenesse | Adriaan Pauw | Johan Adler Salvius | Johan Oxenstierna | Gaspar de Bracmonte y Guzmán Count of Peñaranda | Philip IV | Henri II. De Bourbon Orléans | Louis XIV | Johann Maximilian Graf von Lamberg | Johann Ludwig Count of Nassau | Maximilian von and zu Trauttmansdorff | Ferdinand III. | |
| Frans van Donia | Johann de Knuyt | Matthias Mylonius Biörenklou | Shearress Roesenhane | Antoine Brun | Joseph de Bergaigne | Abel Servien | Claude de Mesmes Comte d'Avaux | Ferdinand Count von Walnstein | Isaac Volmar | Johann Krane | Alvise Contarini | Fabio Chigi |
| City of Basel, city commander | stack | Electoral envoy | Corner of the south wall / west wall | Netherlands | Vestibule | |||
| Johann Rudolf Wettstein | Count Johann von Sayn-Wittgenstein | Georg Christoph Freiherr von Haslang | Hugo Everhard Cratz Count von Scharfenstein | Barthold of Ghent | Godart van Roadstead | |||
| Johann von Reumont | Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg | Johann Ernst von Pistorius | Hugo Friedrich Freiherr von und zu Eltz | Adriaan Clant van Stedum | Willem Ripperda | |||
Of the total of 37 pictures, 34 were painted by the portrait painter Anselm van Hulle or by his assistant Jan Baptist Floris, who made copies of the portraits created by van Hulle. They were hung in the council chamber on July 7, 1649. The picture of Münster's city commander Johann von Reumont and that of the Swedish ambassador Matthias Mylonius Biörenklou are not from Floris. It was not until 1966 that the portrait of the envoy of the city of Basel, Johann Rudolf Wettstein, was added as a gift from the canton of Basel-Stadt .
In addition to its function as a meeting room for the councilors, the room also served as a courtroom. The councilors were responsible for the higher jurisprudence. Correspondingly, relics can also be found in this hall. One of them is the court barrier in the middle of the room, which separated the judge and assessor from the court parties and spectators. Above the barrier under the ceiling there is a plaque that was supposed to warn the judges to be impartial. It says “Audiatur et altera pars - Men listen to both parties”, which means “listen to both parties”. There is also a massive chandelier, which was created by Flemish blacksmiths, suspended from the ceiling of the hall. It rests on the antlers of an odd figure eight and is decorated with hunting scenes and depictions of animals. Further decorations consist of the city coat of arms, a late Gothic Madonna figure, a golden crown as well as two golden balls and a carved rose, from which the ceiling suspension rises. The outer ring of the chandelier is inscribed with gold letters from the " Book of Wisdom ", Chapter 1, Verse 1. It reads "Diligite iustitiam, qui iudicatis terram" and means in translation "Love justice, you who judge the earth."
In addition, between 1826 and 1862 the hall served as a meeting room for the state parliament of the Prussian province of Westphalia , which met every two years after Münster was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia by the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15 and made the capital of the province of Westphalia. In addition, the city council met here in 1848 when the March Revolution took place in the German Confederation and thus also in Prussia.
Ballroom
The use of the space before 1861 is unknown. However, it can be assumed that it served as additional storage space for traders and merchants who sold their goods on the regular markets. However, it was in a desolate condition, so that requests for redesign and use arose in the population, especially after plans to relocate the Westphalian provincial parliament to the upper floor were dropped. The redesign in that year was carried out by the secret government building councilor Salzenberg and made it possible to use the hall for receptions and larger societies. Salzenberg provided the room with a rising barrel vault in the Gothic style, matching the large Gothic tracery windows on the side facing the Prinzipalmarkt. To create the raised vault, he included the attics above, so that the ceiling of the hall stretched right up to the gable. The long sides were adorned with numerous life-size figure paintings of people who have rendered outstanding services to the city of Münster, including Charlemagne, Liudger and Baron Franz von Fürstenberg .
After the hall, which was very popular with the people of Münster, was destroyed by flames when the town hall was destroyed in World War II, it was "reconstructed" in a completely new form during the reconstruction. The barrel vault was replaced by a flat ceiling construction, which corresponded to the original shape of the ceiling. There was also a change in color. Since then, the room has been kept in the city colors of gold, red and silver. In terms of its basic function, however, nothing has changed since it was converted into a ballroom in 1861. However, the hall also regularly serves as a meeting place for the Münster city council.
armory
The armory is located on the main floor above the council chamber and corresponds to its dimensions. While the city guard's arsenal used to be housed in this room, it is now a spacious fireplace room, thanks not least to the restrained furnishings.
basement, cellar
Both the citizens' hall and the council chamber have a cellar and were used to store wine from 1545. As early as 1550 there was a "Rats-Weinschenk" in the town hall's cellar. The old beam construction of the ceiling was replaced by brick cross vaults in the front part below the Bürgerhalle in 1563 and below the council chamber during the major renovation of the town hall in 1576 . Up to the opening of the city wine house in 1616, up to 20,000 liters of wine were stored in the barrels in the town hall cellar. After the wine was then relocated, the cellar served as storage space that was rented to merchants. Between 1924 and the destruction of the town hall there was a restaurant in the town hall cellar.
Attic
The large attic consists of four parts and measures 15 meters from the floor to the roof ridge. Three of them were used to store cloths, wood and grain. From 1664 the merchants who stored their goods there had to pay a rent. The goods were put into or taken out of storage through three openings in the shape of a pointed arcade in the front gable facing the Prinzipalmarkt. They were locked with wooden doors. The storage of these highly flammable goods was banned by the city council in 1774 due to the existing fire hazard for the historic building. After the openings for the transport of goods were no longer used, they were walled up in 1863. They can be recognized as three niches arranged vertically one above the other in the middle of the town hall gable.
Types of use
The German town hall in the Middle Ages sometimes had more functions as a mere meeting place. In addition to its functions as a town hall and council chamber, the Münster town hall also functions as a judging, buying, cloth, play, dance, grain, armory and wine house as well as a main guard house.
As already mentioned, it served as a court house both for the higher jurisdiction by the councilors in the council chamber and for the lower jurisdiction by the city judge appointed by the episcopal sovereigns in front of the town hall or under the arched hall. The tasks of the city judge were essentially limited to the announcement of the day of the court and the pronouncement of the verdict passed by the high court. Nevertheless, he also received a picture of the court as a reminder to reach a fair judgment. Hermann tom Ring created this picture with the depiction of the Last Judgment around 1558 on the Michaelistor opposite.
The town hall also appeared as a playhouse for public performances. However, this type of use was rather rare. Only performances in the years 1537, 1552, 1601, 1611, 1612 and 1645 are documented. There are even fewer records about dance events. The main reason was the Gruthaus, built around 1265, which was much better equipped for such events. The festivals and celebrations of the local guilds also took place in their own guild houses. The only tradition of a dance event comes from the episode of the Anabaptists, when Jan van Leiden danced and dined with his wives and the town councilors for three consecutive days with a third of the city's population in 1534.
The function of a department store was much more important. During the time of the annual fairs, non-local traders and citizens who were not members of a guild were allowed to sell goods within the city. The local guilds received permission to set up their stands in the town hall, while the first-named groups had to share the space on the upper main floor. The four attics of the town hall, which describe its function as a cloth or granary, were intended to store goods such as cloths, wood and supplies. The cellars were also used to store goods. These goods were mainly wine, which was stored in the completed neighboring town wine house from 1616. At the same time, it was given the function of a weighing house and the city scales were accordingly set up in front of it. The plaque on the north side of the town hall reminds of the function of a department store with a " Prussian half rod ", the legal unit of length from 1816, which was used for measurements in Münster at that time and which dealers also had to adhere to when selling their goods . In the event of disputes between the buyer and seller, it also served as a reference for the court meeting in the town hall.
It was used as a main guardhouse from 1637 when an officer's office on the market is mentioned. After the defeat and surrender in the conflict with the Prince-Bishop's sovereign Christoph Bernhard von Galen in 1661, it was in the town hall until 1843. Then she was also transferred to the neighboring town wine house. The city's weapons were also in the town hall. They were stored in the armory on the upper main floor above the council chamber.
Nowadays, the town hall is mainly only used for cultural or representative events such as the big banquet for the 350th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia, the award of the International Peace Prize of Westphalia or the organization of the Kramer meal . Council meetings still take place here, though not in the council chamber but in the ballroom. In addition to the official reception of dignitaries and the organization of festivities, for example anniversaries of local associations, it is regularly used during elections as the headquarters of the election office and to announce the election results. In addition, the live broadcast from the Friedenssaal of a television service , which ZDF claims to have regularly reached around 700,000 viewers, on September 22, 2013, is noteworthy.
The town hall as a museum
In addition to the storage and exhibition of various art objects and art treasures from the city, the town hall can already be seen as the forerunner of a modern museum from the middle of the 16th century, which is intended to remind of important events and at the same time admonish them. Due to the chapter on the rule of the Anabaptists in Münster, the four torture tongs soon adorned the pillars of the arched hall. In addition to the cages of the Lambertikirche , in which the corpses of the Anabaptists were displayed, they served as a warning example and as a deterrent. It was only when the gable was renovated in 1848 that they were removed from there and moved to the Friedenssaal. They hung there until 1921, when they were loaned to the State Museum.
Another item in the ensemble was the torture collar . It is an iron collar to which an iron, movable, 15 cm high and 14 cm wide face mask is attached. On the inside of the collar there are eight 1.6 cm long spikes at the front and six 2 cm long spikes at the back, which bored into the neck of the wearer. Although it can be assumed that it was not used in the torture of the Anabaptist King Jan van Leiden, it at least dates from the same period. It was probably used to torture the prisoners after the rebellion was put down by Heinrich Mollenhecke, who defended himself against the introduction of polygamy by the Anabaptists and was therefore tortured by them.
In stark contrast to the memories of the Anabaptist era, the Friedenssaal stands as a testimony to the efforts for peace and security in Europe. Due to its historical significance, it has not been changed since the Peace of Westphalia was concluded in 1648. In 1803 at the latest, after the Prussians had occupied the Duchy of Münster and the city itself , people were aware of its function as a memorial. When the town hall was redesigned, it was proposed to keep the peace hall in its shape. It also remained untouched during the major rebuilding and renovation of the town hall in 1848. The determination of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III had a decisive influence . during his visit on September 21, 1817 that the Friedenssaal was to be preserved and should never be used for other purposes.
Historical weapons and items
The town hall also houses a collection of other historical items. Most of the city's art holdings, on the other hand, are on loan to the State Museum. There are also parts of the objects in the State Museum, some of which, however, are no longer all preserved, as they fell victim to the Second World War.
weapons
The first part of the exhibits are mostly old weapons from the city. Two of three historical harnesses are preserved , all of which were created around 1550. They are exhibited in the Bürgerhalle. There are also three alignment swords , each with a length between 82 cm and 86 cm. The oldest of them dates from around 1550, the youngest around 1600. Eight battle swords have also been preserved. They once belonged to the Great Rifle Brotherhood , which was re-established in 1557 after the reign of the Anabaptists in Münster. The swords with a 1.20 m long blade were probably made around 1570. Another exhibit is a collection of ten polearms. Three of these weapons are partisans . Two of them were made around 1600, one towards the end of the 16th century. A total of six iron halberds also date from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries . The last of these polearms is a war flail . However, this is no longer an original since 1933 at the latest, as it was eaten away by the woodworm.
A special exhibit is a 2.49 m long giant sword with a 1.45 m long and an average of 15 cm wide, sharpened blade. It was probably forged in the first half of the 17th century. However, the largest weapon did not survive World War II. It was a 3.78 m long giant halberd that was made together with the giant sword. What purpose these two monumental weapons served is not sufficiently clear. However, they could have been part of a theatrical performance of David and Goliath in the 16th or 17th centuries.
The town hall's exhibition also included a wall rifle from 1586 with a caliber of 3 cm and a wall rifle barrel from the second half of the 16th century with a caliber of 3.3 cm. It is unknown how the city came into possession of these weapons. The single barrel of these two pieces is still preserved.
Flags and standards
All flags on display in the town hall survived the Second World War and are on display in the state museum. These are the two peace flags from 1648 and the flag from the introduction of Prince-Bishop Ferdinand von Fürstenberg in 1678. The exhibition also includes two standards of the volunteer corps of the civil cavalry . They were consecrated on May 3, 1763 and came into the possession of the city through an estate. From the years 1780 and 1781, three lay flags came from the lay families Lamberti, Ludgeri and Liebfrauen, that is, the secular societies from the respective parishes. The last historical flags were three civil guard flags from 1815.
Council silver
The preserved council silver is also part of the exhibition . Although this is an impressive collection, it cannot be compared with those of other cities. This is because the city of Münster had to rebuild its council silver several times. The Anabaptists destroyed the entire collection during their rule in 1534/35. It was also melted down and sold in times of need, for example during the siege by Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen in 1661. But it wasn't just hardship and destruction that contributed to the loss. Often the silver was given away to important and influential people and officers. In the end, only three parts remained.
Other items
The list of individual items without a special assignment begins with the baton of the doorman . This rod, 128.4 cm long, 1.7 cm to 2.3 cm thick and provided with two spheres, each 6.7 cm and 18.8 cm in diameter, was probably made in 1545. However, a date of origin before the reintroduction is certain of the guilds in 1553, as the staff lacks a town hallmark and a master's mark.
The second item is a minstrel coat of arms made of gold-plated silver with a diameter of 13.3 cm. The front of the coat of arms shows the coat of arms of the city of Münster in the jewelry setting with helmet and lion. Although it bears the date of origin 1606 on the back, the city treasurer's invoice indicates the year 1605. This fact can be explained by the council election on January 20, 1606, that accounts were continued up to this point in time under the year 1605.
What is special about the coin cup is not that it was created in the second half of the 17th century, but rather the coins embedded in the metal. On the outside there are seven, mostly Saxon, thalers in two rows one above the other. The bottom of the cup is decorated with a commemorative coin by Engelbert Kettler to commemorate the Peace of Westphalia of 1648. A replica of an Anabaptist coin is embedded in the lid. The coin minting machines , which are said to have been used by a coin forger around 1686 to mint counterfeit coins, are also related to coins . Both exhibits are on loan in the State Museum.
The remains of a four-poster bed can also be seen in the State Museum . They were initially viewed as the bed drawer of the leader of the Anabaptists, Jan van Leiden. However, they come from the house of another Baptist, namely Bernd Knipperdolling , around the year 1550. At what point in time they became the property of the city is not known. However, the period can be limited between 1759 and 1836.
Finally there are 26 seat cushions in the town hall for the benches in the council chamber. They served as seat pads for the 24 councilors and the two mayors. The cushions are divided into two groups of 13 cushions each, recognizable by the different design of the city arms. The first half was probably made around 1537, the second half around 1553.
particularities
On January 22, 1536, the town hall was the scene of the public execution of the three leaders of the Anabaptists of Munster by the re-strengthened Catholic Church. Around 8 a.m. they were led to a platform in front of the town hall. Jan van Leiden , the self-proclaimed King of the so-called Kingdom of Zion , was tied to a stake and torn by red-hot pliers on both sides by an executioner from Paderborn and one from Munster before he was stabbed in the chest with a knife. It is said to have taken more than an hour for van Leiden to die from it. The two other leaders, Bernd Krechting and Bernd Knipperdolling , were executed in the same way. The four pliers used for this were then attached to the pillars of the arch hall. They served to warn and deter possible rebels against the bishop and how they are dealt with in Munster.
Since 1578 , the so-called sending sword has been attached to the northwest corner of the town hall during the three times a year fair, the Send . This corner was chosen because the Sendschwert could still be seen from the market on Domplatz through the Michaelistor of Domburg. It documents the market law of the city of Münster and, at the same time, tightened criminal law during the time of the fair. It hangs in the town hall in the town hall between the annual fairs. The sword has been a replica since 2001, after the 400-year-old original was stolen by thieves on the night of broadcast on October 24, 2000 and has not yet been found. The wooden arm that holds the sword was replaced by a replica as early as 1923, as the original arm had been perforated by the woodworm.
In the Friedenssaal of the town hall there are displayed in showcases three, partly mysterious objects from Münster's past. One item is the city's Golden Rooster , a gilded silver drinking vessel that was made in Nuremberg. The year cannot be put precisely. Some sources go from 1600, others from 1621. Today, this vessel is mainly used to greet guests of honor who drink from it after they have been entered in the city's Golden Book. To do this, the tap is filled with wine. It holds roughly the contents of a normal wine bottle. According to a legend, the Golden Rooster was founded by a Münster councilor after the last rooster in the city had escaped during the siege by Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen shortly before his beheading and ran along the city wall. This led the prince-bishop to the conclusion that a siege of the city and waiting for a famine were pointless, since there was still enough food in the city, so that he broke off the siege. This contradicts the time of the creation of the rooster, since a siege of the city by von Galen took place in 1657 at the earliest.
The second item is a slipper from the years between 1620 and 1640. The origin and the reason for keeping it are not known. Originally the slipper was ascribed to Elisabeth Wandscherer, one of the many wives of the leader of the Anabaptists in Münster, Jan van Leiden , who beheaded them himself in 1535. However, more recent sources assume that the shoe belonged to Anne of Bourbon , the Duchess of Longueville, who accompanied her husband Henri II. D'Orleans and Duke of Longueville to the peace negotiations on the Peace of Westphalia.
Probably the strangest object are the remains of a severed hand resting on an oak box. As with the slipper, little is known about the origin. What is certain is that the box dates from the second half of the 16th century. If one believes a tradition, it is said to be the hand of the forger Küster Brand zu Löhningen, which was hacked off on January 14, 1705 and served to deter possible criminals. However, it could also have been a warning to those involved in the process against false testimony and perjury. According to the forensic archaeologist and historian Peter Pieper , the hand was not cut off, but surgically severed, which makes it reasonable to assume that it is a body mark of a victim that was negotiated in court. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the murderer could not be identified and the process could not be completed, which is why the hand was saved.
In addition to the items in the Friedenssaal, another special feature is an original stone from the Dresden Frauenkirche , which was destroyed on February 15, 1945 and has since been rebuilt , which is located in the entrance hall of the town hall on the inside of the front wall facing the Prinzipalmarkt and in May 2005 as a symbol for the gratitude for 60 years of peace in Europe was applied. In return, a stone from the Clarisse monastery in Münster, which was destroyed during the Second World War, was visibly walled up during the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche.
The sculpture “ Tolerance through dialogue ” by the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida is located in the courtyard of the town hall . It was created in 1993 and consists of two oversized steel benches, the seats of which face each other and were partially hollowed out by the artist. The aim is to symbolize the contrasts between material and emptiness, heavy weight and lightness, as well as openness and closedness. By arranging the benches facing each other, the artist wants to express that it is possible to approach these opposing states through a dialogue.
Outbuildings
In addition to the main building, other auxiliary buildings also belonged to the town hall at times. Except for the Stadtweinhaus, none of these buildings exist anymore. They are presented below.
City wine house
The town wine house was built in 1615/16 under the First Mayor Bernhard II of Droste zu Hülshoff by Johann von Bocholt and is the only surviving auxiliary building. It is located north of the actual town hall, only separated from it by a narrow alley. On the first floor there is a transition between the two buildings, which connects the ballroom of the town hall with the large hall of the town wine house.
It originally served as a warehouse for the city's wine, which was previously stored in the town hall's cellars. From 1843 the city guard was quartered in the city wine house. It had been in the town hall itself since the town's defeat by Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen in 1661. The town scales were also set up in front of the house, which in many other town halls were normally housed within the town hall building.
A wine tavern on the ground floor is a reminder of its function as a storage facility for the city council's wine. In summer, wine tasting is also possible in front of the building, although the outdoor area sometimes extends far into the Marktstrasse of the Prinzipalmarkt.
The large hall, which extends behind the balcony inside the building, serves on the one hand as a venue for meetings of the city council and on the other hand as a ballroom. If both the ballroom of the town hall and the town wine house turn out to be too small, the connection between the two rooms offers the possibility of holding large festivities in a historical setting. The balcony in front serves, among other things, to welcome the annual Rose Monday procession by the Lord Mayor as well as other festive and representative occasions.
Gruthaus
The Gruthaus (see floor plan no. 11), which was located east of the town hall, was the largest outbuilding. The name is derived from a heather plant and the mixture obtained from it for brewing beer. According to its name, the Grutbier was brewed in this house , which was the only beer brewed in Münster until the end of the 15th century. Since the monopoly of the production and sale of the Grut rests with the sovereign, the city initially acquired a third of it from 1265 and the entire amount from 1278 from the episcopal sovereign and brewed its own beer in the Gruthaus for an annual payment to the cathedral chapter . In the 14th century, the city covered about two thirds of its budget by selling the grut. The income was invested in gold and silver, from which u. a. the golden rooster was made. On November 23, 1663, she took over the Grut monopoly with a payment of 30,000 thalers. Accordingly, it is assumed that the Gruthaus was built around 1265 when the city began brewing beer . It was probably replaced by a new building towards the end of the 15th century or the beginning of the 16th century and demolished in 1867/68. Until then, it housed the city's representative hall, the Grutsaal. In addition to parties and celebrations, other companies could also rent it for their celebrations. Gruetgasse is a reminder of the Gruthaus, where the taxes for brewing beer were collected. The route was named Gruetstegge as early as 1501.
Writing
Very little information is available about the scribing, which was broken off in 1870 (see floor plan no. 10) based on floor plans from around 1815 and a few photographs. This building was a three-story extension made of bricks with a simple triangular gable. It was probably made towards the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century. What is certain, however, is that Jan van Leiden , the leader of the Anabaptists in Münster, was taken to the clerk's prison in 1535.
This was located in the basement and consisted of a few cells. On the ground floor, the writing room was divided into two by a chimney wall in north-south direction. There is no information about the original location of the stairs to the upper floor. The staircase, which was removed when the building was demolished in 1870, is in any case not the original, as an old chimney appeared underneath it, which was also adorned with the coat of arms of the city of Münster . There is no information about the whereabouts of the fireplace.
Forge tower / archive
The forge tower (see floor plan no. 9) was probably built towards the end of the 16th century as an independent building northeast of the main building. It owes its name to four arrested journeymen from the blacksmith's office who were locked in the vaults of the tower at the beginning of March 1618. However, the journeymen were not the only ones who had to spend a while in the tower. Imprisonment has been proven up to 1772.
However, the actual function of the building was not that of a prison - as mentioned above, prisoners were imprisoned in the basement of the clerk's office - but that of the city archive. For this purpose, the two-storey building was divided in two by a wall in a north-south direction. While the prisoners were housed in the western part of the building on the ground floor, the conversion of the eastern part into the archive began in 1576. The extension of the upper floor into the archive was carried out in 1624. It was accessible via a small spiral staircase in the southeast corner. The building retained its function as an archive even after its renovation in 1869 until the archive was moved to the new city administration building in 1906, of which only the tower has survived. From 1918 the vacated space on the upper floor served as an asylum for the homeless.
After heavy destruction in the Second World War in 1944, the forge tower was not rebuilt.
Stevenink's yard
The Stevenink's yard was first mentioned in 1503. It was named after the owner at the time, Kordt Stevenink. After it was bought by a city council in 1571 for 2,400 Reichsmarks, renovations began in 1594 and the city council from then on lived in this building until 1704. At the same time it was named Syndikatshaus . An exception was the time of the negotiations for the Peace of Westphalia , when the city commandant Johann von Reumont moved into his quarters in Stevenink's courtyard.
On October 1, 1704, the then bishop Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg decided that from this point on the city judge had to live in the courtyard in order to be closer to the market where the courts were held. The building has since been referred to as the Richthof .
Further uses took place by the Jesuits during the Seven Years' War , who used it as a school after a hospital had been housed in their grammar school. In 1806 the city tried to auction the building twice. After the wine merchant Gräser, who was successful at the first auction, did not take over the house and the second auction was declared invalid due to the amount achieved, the postal secretary Dieckmann lived in the house from 1812. From 1818 to 1851, the then city secretary Höttger lived there. After his death in 1851 the building was demolished.
Weinhof
The Weinhof, which was demolished in 1853, housed the city secretary's apartment from 1604. Before this function and the abandoned function as a wine yard, the building obviously served as a synagogue for the first Jewish community in Münster. After the Jews were held responsible for the Black Death and were expelled from the city around 1350, the bishop, as sovereign, was able to freely dispose of the building and later loaned it to the Stevenink family, which was probably the basis of the family's large property in the area of the City Hall explained.
Council stable
The last of the outbuildings was the council stable, which was demolished around 1900 (see floor plan no. 12), about the period of which nothing is known. The building to the east of the writing room was first mentioned in 1546. It was used by the city council mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was involved in extensive horse breeding and horse trading.
literature
- Max Geisberg : The architectural and art monuments of Westphalia. Bd. 41. The city of Münster, part 2. The cathedral immunity, the market, the town hall. Aschendorff, Münster 1976, ISBN 3-402-05091-9 .
- Klaus Gruna: The town hall of Münster. Little art guides. Vol. 1722. Schnell & Steiner, Munich / Zurich 1988.
- Otto-Ehrenfried Selle: City Hall and Peace Hall in Münster. Westphalian art sites. Vol. 93. Münster 2002. ISSN 0930-3952
Web links
- The city of Münster via the Friedenssaal (PDF; 961 kB)
- Historical and current photos of the Friedenssaal in the image archive of the LWL media center for Westphalia
- 360 ° panorama on de.180x360.eu
address
- Prinzipalmarkt 10, 48143 Münster.
Individual evidence
- ↑ European Heritage Label for Münster's Town Hall , press release, March 12, 2015
- ^ A b Westfälische Nachrichten : City Hall is looking for a place in the sun - European Heritage Seal: Application from Münster and Osnabrück on the national proposal list , Culture, Johannes Loy, December 7, 2013
- ^ Klaus Gruna: The town hall of Münster. Quick art guide. No. 1722. Munich / Zurich 1988, p. 3.
- ↑ District government of Münster: Face change - new views ( Memento from June 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Otto-Ehrenfried Selle: Town Hall and Peace Hall in Münster. Westphalian art sites. H. 93. Münster 2002, p. 6.
- ^ Wilderich von Droste zu Hülshoff : "900 years Droste zu Hülshoff". Horben 2018
- ^ The town hall of Münster - a gift to the city - press release of the city of Münster on September 19, 2008.
- ^ Wolfgang Pehnt: German architecture since 1900 (DVA). Munich 2005, pp. 275-276.
- ↑ UNESCO list: Münster's town hall is to become a world cultural heritage , Westfälische Nachrichten , Münster, Wolfgang Schemann, June 8, 2011
- ↑ Westfälische Nachrichten : NRW state government favors the "Ruhr area cultural landscape": Prinzipalmarkt not on the list for the world cultural heritage , Münster, Klaus Baumeister, July 1, 2012
- ↑ a b Westfälische Nachrichten : Anyone who says A must also say B - dispute over the cultural heritage seal: Kenkmann and Dechow complain of "historical blindness" , Münster / Blickpunkt, Münster, Klaus Baumeister, December 27, 2014
- ^ Münstersche Zeitung : EU seal: City center is now to be “European cultural heritage” , Münster, July 3, 2012
- ↑ Westfälische Nachrichten : Kulturerbe-Siegel is approaching: Conference of Ministers of Culture nominated Cathedral city / EU will decide in January 2015 , Münsterischer Anzeiger, Münster, Martin Kalitschke, 7 December 2013
- ↑ a b c d Westfälische Nachrichten : A world-class historical place: The Münster town hall has been a center of social and political life in the city for 700 years , European Heritage Seal, Münster, Martin Kalitschke, 14 May 2015
- ↑ a b Westfälische Nachrichten : City Hall gets a new roof ( online ), Münster, September 11, 2013
- ^ A b Westfälische Nachrichten : Above the roofs of Münster - A reason for the town hall renovation : Raindrops triggered smoke alarms , Münster, Münster, Gabriele Hillmoth, October 21, 2013
- ↑ Portrait of Fabio Chigi ; quoted there from: Hans Galen (ed.): Münster and Westphalia at the time of the Peace of Westphalia: portrayed by the papal envoy Fabio Chigi. Pp. 35-39.
- ↑ Otto-Ehrenfried Selle: Town Hall and Peace Hall in Münster. Westphalian art sites. H. 93. Münster 2002, p. 7.
- ↑ Max Geisberg: The architectural and art monuments of Westphalia. Bd. 41. The city of Münster, part 2. The cathedral immunity, the market, the town hall. Aschendorff, Münster 1976, pp. 308-310.
- ↑ Otto-Ehrenfried Selle: Town Hall and Peace Hall in Münster. Westphalian art sites. H. 93. Münster 2002, pp. 18, 20-25.
- ↑ Westfälische Nachrichten : The original chimney is in the Friedenssaal: The fireplace was dismantled after the war / basement needs to be renovated , Münster / 425 years Krameramtshaus, Münster, Martin Kalitschke, March 22, 2014
- ^ Painter: Friedrich Tüshaus , 1869
- ↑ a b Westfälische Nachrichten : Church service in the Friedenssaal: City is losing out - long-planned ZDF broadcast on the day of the federal election , Münster, Münster, kv, September 18, 2013
- ^ A b City of Münster: Münster historically, City Hall of the Peace of Westphalia. (PDF file; 961 kB) p. 22.
- ↑ Max Geisberg: The architectural and art monuments of Westphalia. Bd. 41. The city of Münster, part 2. The cathedral immunity, the market, the town hall. Aschendorff, Münster 1976, p. 388.
- ↑ Max Geisberg: The architectural and art monuments of Westphalia. Bd. 41. The city of Münster, part 2. The cathedral immunity, the market, the town hall. Aschendorff, Münster 1976, p. 382.
- ↑ Klaus Graf: That doesn't lick the cow - “Accidental thoughts” on the written form and culture of remembrance of the criminal justice system. ( Memento of February 14, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Note 219.
- ↑ a b Münstersche Zeitung : The truth about the hand: In a short film, three students explain who the rotten relic in the town hall is from , Münster / Feuilleton, Münster, Helmut Jasny, July 22, 2013
- ↑ a b c Ultimo: Prosit Gagelkraut - Philipp Overbeck researches & brews Münster's medieval beer , Roland Tauber, No. 3/18, January 22, 2018 - February 4, 2018, p. 8
- ^ Karl-Heinz Kirchhoff: The Prinzipalmarkt . In: Sources and research on the history of the city of Münster . tape 1 . Aschendorff Verlag , 2001, ISBN 978-3-402-06643-0 , p. 27 .
- ↑ In the course of time - 1200 years of Münster . City Archives Münster, Zwolle 2000, p. 187 .
- ↑ a b Münstersche Zeitung , Wilhelm Kohl, July 30, 1956 ( online )
Coordinates: 51 ° 57 ′ 42 " N , 7 ° 37 ′ 41" E
