Mühlenhof sets up hostel for journeymen

An extraordinary project is taking shape at the Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum in Münster. The main financier is the Paul Schnitker Foundation.

A new accommodation is being built in a small cottage on the grounds of the Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum, which is likely to attract nationwide attention. Starting next year, journeymen on their travels will be able to stay overnight at the historic museum on the Aasee lake. This is made possible by a combination of a unique idea, dedicated sponsors, and a suitable location. 

The "Hüsken" is being renovated 

The Paul Schnitker Foundation is providing around €120.000 for the project. The foundation, named after the former president of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and the Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts, who passed away in 2013, supports projects that connect skilled trades and science. For Harald Schnitker, a member of the foundation's board of trustees and himself a journeyman in his younger years, the initiative is a matter close to his heart. He emphasizes that the journeyman's travels are formative for many young craftspeople and personally developed the renovation plans for the building.

At the heart of the project is a small house at the rear of the museum grounds. It is to be renovated in accordance with historic preservation guidelines by next summer and will provide accommodation for three journeymen. The city of Münster has already granted the necessary building permit after consulting with the historic preservation authorities. For the Mühlenhof, the new offering fits perfectly into the overall concept. "This fits precisely into our museum education work," explains Dr. Markus Johow, Chairman of the De Bockwindmüel association. The regular presence of the journeymen will enrich the daily life of the museum and offer visitors insights into historical craft traditions. The idea has also been met with approval from the perspective of the skilled trades. Jürgen Kroos, President of the Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts, is convinced that the news will quickly spread among the approximately 500 journeymen nationwide. Münster already enjoys a good reputation among them, as Dr. Annkatrin Meyer-Schwickerath, Chairwoman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, reports.

 

Background: Special exhibition on the tradition of the journeyman's travels Background The Mühlenhof museum estimates that the allocated funds will not be entirely sufficient, but financing is secured. Any shortfall will be covered by the museum's general donation fund. Alongside the renovation, the Mühlenhof plans a special exhibition on the tradition of the journeyman's travels and the significance of the craft.
Online This way to the Mühlenhof open-air museum in Münster. 

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