The Market
Flowers, voices and the sweet smell of waffles and coffee in the air.
That is the weekly market in Münster.
Every Wednesday and Saturday from 7am to 2:30pm, people come to the 'Domplatz', the big place in front of the cathedral, to buy groceries, drink coffee and chat.
More than 150 stalls provide their goos there. They're all divided into groups. Every group has its own lane, so the costumer is able to compare quality and price himself. There is a lane for butchers, one for fish-selling, one for the bakeries, a long one for fruit and vegetables. And at the end of the market, there are stalls for plants, flowers, clothes and crafts. Specialities like anitpasti, jelly and sweets from the Netherlands, Belgium, England or Persia, can be bought too.
Nearly everything that's sold, is produced locally (except the sweets). There are also some stalls, that sell only organic products. The whole market uses power from the sustainable energy sources. In order to provide the sustenance of the visitors and the working people, a lot of cafés and food trucks offer their wide product range along the edge of the market. People often meet there to drink a coffee together or eat a snack or even lunch.
But enough about facts. There is an even more important issue, than the products which are sold there. The people. Without the people, the market wouldn't be a market, right? So what do they think about this event? First of all, there is nearly no Münster-born human being, who hasn't been to the market at least once in their life. Whether it was back in childhood with parents or grandparents, who took one to the weekly grocery shopping or later as a student, to meet with friends for a coffee. Everyone went there and everyone loved it. But also people from elsewhere only have good things to say about the weekly event in Münster's city centre. Most people asked (inhabitants and visitors), described the market as a place that perfectly fits into the urban image of the city or in fact enhances it. Also the freshness and regionality of the products was accentuated positively. Yet the thing that was mentioned the most, is the atmosphere. It's a feeling of being home. Most of the costumers know the sellers, since a very long time. Everyone is friendly and there are a lot of opportunities to taste different things because of the versatile range of products. Another point is that the market is outside. The seasonal products are matching the appearance of the surrounding. Beause of all the tourist, it's possible to meet a lot of different people from different countries and cultures. So there is always an exchange of thoughts and impressions.
Summarized: To know Münster for real, it's essential to visit the marekt leastwise once. Because there is no Münster without the market.
Photo taken by Rüdiger Wölk, Münster
Rosa von Scheidt
