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Muenster

Prince-Bishopric of Muenster (Münster)
former country of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation
to 1802 fully sovereign
1803–1806 as Hereditary-Principality Muenster to Prussia
partially annexed by France and Grand Duchy of Berg
from 1815 to Prussia

• Flags

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Coat of Arms

• Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

• Map

• Numbers and Facts

• History

• Origin of the Country's Name

Flags

Flagge Fahne flag Hochstift Fürsttotum Münster Diocese prince-tohopric of Muenster

ca. 1770–1803,
Flag of the prince-bishopric of Muenster,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D), World Statesmen

Flagge Fahne flag totum Münster Diocese Muenster

Flag of the Diocese of Muenster,
Source, by: Bischöfliches Priesterseminar Borromaeum

The flag of the prince-bishopric shows three horizontal stripes in gold, red and blue and in the middle of the red stripe a white disc with the coat of arms in the middle. It was also used at sea. The flag of the Diocese of Münster is a scutcheon-flag. It shows the colors of the blazon of the Diocese of Münster, a golden shield with a red bar in the middle. It is until today in use and it is still hoisted at important estates of the diocese.

Source: Wikipedia (D), World Statesmen, Volker Preuß

Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of the prince-bishopric of Muenster,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D), World Statesmen

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms is a common ecclesiastic coat of arms. Only the prince's hat above the coat of arms is remarkable. After the diocese had lost its secular sovereignty and had become a purely ecclesiastical area, the prince's hat was replaced by a bishop's hat (mitra).

Source: Wikipedia (D), World Statesmen, Volker Preuß

Map

Source: Hand-Atlas für die Geschichte des Mittelalters und die neueren Zeit von Spruner und Menke

Numbers and Facts

Area: ca. 3.800 square miles

Capital: Muenster (Münster)

History

antiquity · settlement by Germanic tribes

12 B.C. · the region was conquered by Roman forces under Drusus

9 A.D. · Germanic revolt, the Romans withdraw behind the Rhine River

ca. 250 · in the area settle Franks

ca. 300 · in the area settle Saxons

ca. 6th century · Saxon settlement of Mimigernaford

793 · foundation of a monastery by the Frisian missionary Liudger

805 · Liudger appointed first bishop of Muenster

9th–11th century · Münster belongs to the Duchy of Saxony

1170 · city law

12th–13th century · the Diocese of Muenster, is becoming a clerical principality with own sovereign rights (Bishopric)

14th–15th century · the city of Muenster is a member of the Hanseatic League

1534–1535 · centre of the Anabaptist movement

1648 · Westphalian Peace of Muenster and Osnabrück, the end of the Thirty Years War

1661 · Muenster strives for the status of "free city" but is besieged by the Prince Bishop and gets all the rights temporarily denied

1801 · death of the last Prince Bishop

1802 · Prussia occupies the area around to prevent a port of the region to the Napoléonic France friendly minded Confederation of the Rhine

1803–1806 · as Hereditary-Principality of Muenster under sovereignty of Prussia

1806 · troops of Napoléon occupy Muenster, the country is partly connected directly to France and partly to the Grand Duchy of Berg

1813 · Prussian and Russian troops free the city from the French

1815 · Congress of Vienna, the region comes to the Kingdom of Prussia and becomes connected to the province of Westphalia, capital of the province is Muenster

Source: Wikipedia (D), Atlas zur Geschichte, RetroLib Retrobibliothek, Discovery '97

Origin of the Country's Name

The original name of the settlement was Mimigernaford, when the Frisian missionary Liudger founded in 793 a monastery there. The Latin word for monastery (monasterium), was finally formative for "Muenster" (Muenster), the modern name of the town and diocese.

Source: Wikipedia (D)