Munster, Germany: Part Two
The morning began with the typical German breakfast rolls with spreads. While my friend called them bagels without holes, I just said that they were rolls because they looked like big versions of something that I would receive at a typical restaurant. I cannot tell you how long my friend and I debated because she thought it was offensive that I referred to her “bagels without holes” as rolls. In any case, they were light, fluffy, and delicious.
After that, we rode our bikes to the Prinzipalmarkt. The Prinzipalmarkt is similar to our Newbury Street in the types of shops that are there, but it looks so much older and European. It is the marketplace in the city centre whose main site is the Gothic town hall (14th century) in which theA Peace of Westphalia treaty was signed in 1648. This is the treaty that put an end to theA Thirty Years’ War.
After the country of Germany was ruined due to World War II, most of the large cities in Germany decided to go for a newer and more modern appeal. However, the people of Munster are known to be stubborn, and they wanted to renovate their city center so that it looked exactly as it did before it was bombed. For instance, shops are not allowed to have their name in anything but gold letters on the outside of the arch, but neon signs can be displayed in the windows. They also hang very specific items, such as red and white flowers in the summer and wreaths in the winter, under each arch. This gives the city a very old feel to it, even though the buildings are not too old.
One building that survived is one of the most popular cafe’s in Germany, Cafe Kleimann. Another really cool thing that survived the wars is anA astronomical clock of 1540. It is only one of a few that are left, and it is filled with gorgeous hand-painted zodiac symbols that trace the movement of the planets. On our walking tour of the city (which was only 5 Euros!) we happened to be near the clock at noon– this is when it plays aA Glockenspiel tune and little wooden people come out and move around.
There is so much more history behind the city of Munster, but I guess it will just have to wait until next week!
