Likewise, every ten years, Münster invites sculptors and other artists to design massive works of art for outdoor display in a place of meaning and context. This growing collection of art can be visited as part of the so-called “Skulpt(o)ur” but perhaps more meaningfully found randomly during walks through the city.

 

Perhaps the most famous is “Tolerance through Dialog,” just behind the Hall of Peace and nothing more than two large metal chairs facing each other an encouraging visitors to sit and talk with other visitors, as well as to learn about and accept them.

 

Outside a nearby church, the “Buddha of the Thousand Arms” a canopy of manikin-style arms each holding an item that represents a different walk of life. During the war, the crucifix in the adjacent church had been hit and the metal Jesus had lost both arms. Instead of replacing them, words were inscribed: “You must be my arms now. Be as I would be and be my arms.”

 

Skulpt(o)ur follows a long tradition of pointed symbolism—at least 350 years’ worth. In the Hall of Freedom, visitors should take special care to look at some of the emblems carved and painted into the walls. One, perhaps in response to years of negotiation and the attendant rhetoric, has a figure standing regally while a head set off in the corner sticks out its tongue—a veiled statement that we’d translate today as “You can kiss my backside.” Another has two headless warriors fighting over a single head. The message is the uselessness of war: If you hurt someone else, you also hurt yourself.

 

The Cathedral houses symbolism that transcends Catholicism. Bishop Clemens-August von Galen opposed the actions of the Nazis, often in indirect yet powerful ways. Within the cathedral, a hammer stands poised to hit an anvil. The bishop’s message: The hammer—the Nazis—may have the power, but the anvil—the strength and will of the people—will endure and stay strong long after the hammer has crumbled. For his brave stands, the citizens called the bishop the “Lion of Münster.”

 

For those who can, bicycling is the best way to view the city. It’s faster than walking and more convenient and cheaper than driving (which high parking costs discourage) or taking a cab. There are no hills, directional signs are clearly marked, bike paths and lanes are clearly delineated, and the bicycle is clearly king: Bikes are allowed to pull closer to intersections and get an advance green light, in order to clear the intersection faster and safely.

 

If walking and even cycling are too exerting, especially with the cobblestone surfaces, consider traveling by rickshaw with a driver/guide from Velotours, (www.velotours-ms.de). Prices depend on duration, distance and nature of tour. You can also impress your friends by renting a rickshaw and driving it yourself.

 

Minutes from the Altstadt (by any means of transportation), the Aasee provides access to the city’s Mühlenhof Open Air Museum and the All-Weather Zoo. The Open Air Museum is a collection of buildings from throughout the Münster region, an extensive collection of Westphalian farm buildings such as an apiary, a stable, a windmill, a smithy, a shoemaker’s shop and small store.

 

The zoo is a must-visit on even sunny days. Zoo visitors and watch dolphins, penguins, lions, tigers, rhinos, orangutans and other animals, both in buildings and from along a one-kilometer covered path. Both can be reached by foot, car or bus—or, even better, aboard the Aasee excursion boat, the Professor Landois, which stops at stations around the lake.

 

Nearby lies another stop on the Skulpt(o)ur that perhaps summarizes the Münster experience: On a peaceful knoll by the Aasee, “Looking Up, Reading the Words” invites passersby to stop and reflect. The sculpture can easily be mistaken as a giant antenna. Upon closer examination, the visitor can see that the wires form words: “Lie in the grass and look up. No one is around. Look at the open heaven in the blue above where clouds roll across the sky—perhaps the most beautiful thing you’ve ever done or seen.” For some, perhaps, like a visit to Münster.

This article appeared in its original form in "Gemuetlichkeit German Travel Newsletter".  http://www.gemut.com