By Sharon Whitley Larsen
"Watch out for bikes!" my tour guide, Annette Stadtbaumer, cautioned as we strolled along the cobblestone streets of charming Munster. "Look up! See those cages?"
As I stopped and craned my neck to gaze high up at the tower of St. Lambert's Roman Catholic Church she told me the story of the 16th-century Anabaptists — a protesting religious group. In 1536 the corpses of three male ringleader/martyrs were displayed in the three 7-foot by 3-foot vertical cages that hang from the church tower as a deterrent to the townsfolk. She described the "wide-open mesh" on the cages that allowed ravens to feed on them; their bones finally were removed some 500 years later.
This doesn't exactly sound like a great tourist draw, but it's part of the fascinating history of this northern German city of 300,000. During the Protestant Reformation, a group of religious zealots calling themselves the Anabaptists — Community of Christ — was on a European crusade, advocating what some felt were radical changes in Christianity. That included promoting adult baptism ("rebaptism"), polygamy, the belief that paradise on Earth would be found within the city walls and that the end of the world was imminent.
"They were radical with changes and reform," explained Stadtbaumer. "They thought they were the chosen people, and they found this chosen place in Munster. If you joined them, you would survive the world."
The Anabaptists gathered by the thousands in Munster — then a heavily fortified walled city — in 1533, taking over the local political leadership; advocating a communal, sectarian government; and evicting nonbelievers from the city. Following bloody rebellions, brutal beheadings, drownings, torture and a siege, their regime ended in Munster 18 months later. (One fascinating book is "The Tailor-King: The Rise and Fall of the Anabaptist Kingdom of Munster" by Anthony Arthur.)
On Jan. 22, 1536, powerful Anabaptist ringleaders Bernard Knipperdolling, Jan Van Leiden and Bernard Krechting were publicly tortured to death, then their corpses were placed in the cages, which were hung above St. Lambert's tower clock, 200 feet up. In 1987 lightbulbs were installed, and at night visitors can see the eerie, dim glow in each cage, "in memory of their departed souls," so we were told.
"It was the worst thing, not to be buried," observed Stadtbaumer.
In the 1880s the cages had to be repaired due to rust, and during World War II they were damaged by British bombs and repaired again. In fact, most of the city (more than 90 percent) was destroyed during the war, with the main shopping district — Prinzipalmarkt — painstakingly rebuilt in the previous medieval style, retaining its architectural charm.
With a monastery founded in 793, Munster — derived from the Latin "monasterium" — has been honored over the years with several awards, including "The Most Livable City in the World," "Bicycle Capital of Germany" and "The Most Child-Friendly City in Germany." Castles abound in the magical region.
"Munster has a reputation for a lot of rain," added Stadtbaumer. There's a local expression: "Either it rains or the church bells ring, and if both occur at the same time, it's Sunday."
With some 60,000 university students — one-fifth of the town's population — Munster, situated on the River Aa, is a youthful, energetic city of culture, with more than 30 museums (including the popular Pablo Picasso Museum) and sculpture by international artists dotting the landscape (the "sculpture project" is held every decade — the next one in 2017).
The Radstation Munster (Munster Bicycle Station), conveniently located in front of the main train station, makes it easy for tourists to rent a bike to sightsee. It houses Germany's largest underground bicycle parking, with spaces for 3,300 bikes. Many residents bicycle everywhere, rain or shine.
Munster is also a great walking city. Locals stroll or cycle along the popular tree-lined promenade circling the city that replaced the old city walls. Boating and other water sports on Lake Aasee are also fun outdoor activities.
The town holds various sporting events, has botanical gardens, festivals, outdoor cafes, a Christmas market, and a popular farmers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, where locals gather to chat and shop. Massive St. Paul's Cathedral, with its historic, entertaining astronomical clock, is a must-see. Munster is also known for its Baroque architecture, and it's a shoppers' paradise, with the modern Munster Arcades opened in 2006.
In the Rathaus (City Hall) is the Hall of Peace, where the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648 to end Europe's Thirty Years' War and where world leaders have gathered throughout the years.
"We claim to be a city of peace," Stadtbaumer said.
And, of course, Munster is renowned for its dark beer. Since 1816, Pinkus Muller, the only remaining brewery of 150, is still serving its special recipe.
As my husband, Carl, admonished me (whom he dubs "Chardonnay Sharon"), "You're in Germany! You have to drink beer!"
In the interest of research I did, discovering several popular pubs, including Blaues Haus, Ziege, Cavete, Stuhlmacher— and my favorite, Pension Schmidt. It's a cozy place with bookshelves, wallpaper, and comfy sofas and chairs arranged so visitors feel as though they're socializing with friends in a living room — a popular spot to relax and listen to music. It's said that Munster boasts 90 churches — and 900 pubs!
And then there's "the girl in the tower." Musician Martje Salje, 35, has had this most unique job since January 2014: For six nights a week (Tuesdays excepted) she carries on the tradition — since 1383 — of keeping watch over Munster from the tower of St. Lambert's. The only female in Munster to have this position as tower watchwoman (called a Turmerin), she certainly doesn't need to work out at the gym: Each evening she climbs 300 steps (which takes her 15 minutes) to her "office." At 8:30 p.m. she checks in with the local fire department; then every 30 minutes from 9 p.m. to midnight she blows a brass horn, announcing to all below that there are no fires or invading armies to report and that "all is well." In between horn blows, she reads, writes, checks the Internet or plays her guitar.
"She loves her job, she does it with all her heart," Stadtbaumer said. "Munster has kept up with this tradition from the 14th-century — with only a small gap during the war. In the early days when the watchman would sit in the tower to watch the city, to make sure he didn't fall asleep, every half-hour he had to sound the horn." And so the tradition continues, with Munster's first female Turmerin.
Added Stadtbaumer with a smile: "Martje's officially our highest state official!"
WHEN YOU GO
Munster Marketing: www.muenster.de/stadt/tourismus/en
Historic Highlights of Germany: www.historicgermany.com
Germany Tourism information: www.germany.travel
We stayed at the centrally located, family-run Hotel Feldmann, which has a great restaurant: www.hotel-feldmann.de.
We also dined at Altes Gafthaus Leve, Munster's oldest restaurant (since 1607): www.gasthaus-leve.de.
St. Lambert's Church: www.st-lamberti.de/en
St. Paul's Cathedral: www.paulusdom.de/start
The Pablo Picasso Museum: www.kunstmuseum-picasso-muenster.de/index.php?id=46&L=1
The Sculpture Project (next one is June 10 to Oct. 1, 2017): www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/skulptur-projekte-muenster
Pubs: Pension Schmidt: www.pensionschmidt.se
Stuhlmacher (since 1890): www.gasthaus-stuhlmacher.de
Blaue Haus: www.blaue-haus-muenster.de
Ziege: www.alteziege.de
Cavete: www.muenster-cavete.de
Pinkus Muller: www.pinkus.de
Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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