Beneath its colossal frame, stories linger. The Gasometer Münster stands as a silent giant a testament to Münster’s industrial past.
This impressive structure isn’t just a landmark it’s a piece of living history. Erected in 1953 and 1954 the Gasometer served Münster for five decades. It reliably stored natural gas for the city’s needs.
Imagine the sheer scale of this feat of engineering. The telescope gas container’s bell construction weighed approximately 800 tons. During operation the internal pressure alone kept it aloft. When gas was released the bell descended into a water basin. This basin held 30000 cubic meters creating a sealed space for the gas.
Notice the Gasometer’s distinct color scheme. These aren’t random choices. The colors represent the Stadtwerke Münster the city’s public utility company. The water basin is blue. Stairs and walkways are yellow. The support structure is orange and the cups are painted black.
In 2005 the Gasometer’s active life concluded. A new underground natural gas pipeline storage facility near Albachten replaced it. However the Gasometer wasn’t forgotten. It gained landmark status. Today it stands protected on a 130000 square meter site owned by Stadtwerke Münster.
For years the city searched for a fitting purpose for the retired Gasometer. The Stadtwerke Münster also sought a buyer. Students from the Münster University of Applied Sciences proposed ideas. A citizen forum emerged online to discuss possibilities. One concept envisioned a museum for classic cars including a viewing platform. Poor parking hindered this project.
Another idea suggested using the Gasometer as a temporary venue. It was planned to host a musical about the Anabaptists of Münster. The city council approved the project in 2008. The initiators never moved forward with the musical.
In 2012 the Wolfgang Borchert Theater staged Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream inside the Gasometer. The theater had already held performances here two years prior. Sparkasse bank provided 75000 euros in funding for the play. A semi-circular tribune was planned to accommodate 600. Ultimately 414 spectators could sit in the ranks. All 46 performances sold out. About 20299 viewers attended making it the theater’s most successful season.
In 2013 the Gasometer hosted a cross-genre art project. The artist group sozialpalast adapted the political talk show Günther Jauch. They modeled it after the Berlin Schöneberg Gasometer.
The artist group Möhre known for marking endangered monuments with animals hung a large spider inside the Gasometer in December 2013.
In February 2014 the Münster-based post-punk band Good Morning Fire Eater filmed their music video Autobahn inside the Gasometer.
From 2016 the Münster section of the German Alpine Club leased the site. They explored possibilities for using it as a club and sports area. In 2018 the German Alpine Club abandoned their Monte Gaso project. Rust removal for safety reasons would have cost about 800000 euros. They couldn’t find sponsors. Plans to create a climbing park a club home and a nature trail were canceled.
From 2021 the site became an open social center named gazometer. It hosted events workshops film screenings and various forms of art and culture. The goal was to preserve one of Münster’s last industrial monuments. The intention was to make it accessible to the public. In early 2022 the city planned a diverse usage structure. This included office space culture hotels and gastronomy.
In October 2023 the city announced that UTB Projektmanagement GmbH from Berlin won the investor competition. The Gasometer was sold to UTB on December 15 2023. The company plans a mixed concept. This includes residential and commercial space. It also includes cultural use. Up to 12000 square meters of usable space will be created. 14 floors will form a vertical urban quarter.
The Gasometer Münster continues to evolve. It stands as a reminder of the past. It is a canvas for the future.