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's roots can be traced back to the 6^th century AD. However, the city officially came into existence in 793, when Frisian missionary Liudger founded the “Monasterium” cloister. Münster became a cathedral city as early as 805, and the city remains an active centre of the Roman-Catholic church.