Münster German Newspaper (German pronunciation: [ˈmʏnstɐ]; Low German: Mönster; Latin: Monasterium, from the Greek μοναστήριον – monastērion, “monastery”) is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland. Münster was the location of the Anabaptist rebellion during the Protestant Reformation and the site of the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years’ War in 1648. Today it is known as the bicycle capital of Germany.

Münster gained the status of a Großstadt (major city) with more than 100,000 inhabitants in 1915.Currently there are 300,000people living in the city, with about 48,500 students, only some of whom are recorded in the official population statistics as having their primary residence in Münster.

In 793, Charlemagne sent out Ludger as a missionary to evangelise the Münsterland. In 797, Ludger founded a school that later became the Cathedral School.Gymnasium Paulinum traces its history back to the school.Ludger was ordained as the first bishop of Münster. The first cathedral was completed by 850.The combination of ford and crossroad, market place, episcopal administrative centre, library and school, established Münster as an important centre.In 1040, Heinrich III became the first king of Germany to visit Münster.

In 1534, the Anabaptists led by John of Leiden, took power in the Münster Rebellion and founded a democratic proto-socialistic state. They claimed all property, burned all books except the Bible, and called it the “New Jerusalem”. John of Leiden believed he would lead the elect from Münster to capture the entire world and purify it of evil with the sword in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ and the beginning of the Millennium. They went so far as to require all citizens to be naked as preparation for the Second Coming. However, the town was recaptured in 1535; the Anabaptists were tortured to death, their corpses were exhibited in metal baskets (often confused with cages), which can still be seen hanging from the Tower of St. Lambert’s steeple.

Part of the signing of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 was held in Münster.This ended the Thirty Years’ War and the Eighty Years’ War. It also guaranteed the future of the prince-bishop and the diocese; the area was to be exclusively Roman Catholic.