Did you know that Hermann Löns once called Münster home? The Hermann-Löns-Stein Stone stands as a reminder of his connection to this city. Löns was born in 1866. He grew up in Westphalia.
Löns’ father took a teaching position here in Münster in 1884. Hermann graduated from Gymnasium Paulinum in 1887. He then began studying medicine at the University of Greifswald.
At his father’s request, Löns returned to Münster in 1889. He enrolled in mathematics and natural sciences. Löns developed a keen interest in malacology. That is the study of mollusks.
It was during this time in Münster that Hermann Löns’ life took interesting turns. In 1889, he met Elisabeth Erbeck at the Pleistermühle. The Pleistermühle was a popular local restaurant. They married in 1893. Sadly after five miscarriages, they divorced in 1901. Löns abandoned his studies in 1890.
Professor Dr. Hermann Landois became a mentor to Löns during his seven years in Münster. In 1895, Landois shared that Löns had discovered a new species of snail. It was named the toothed agate snail. Löns even wrote a tribute to Landois in 1899. It was both an ode to the zoology professor and the city of Münster.
Löns later moved to Lower Saxony. He made a name for himself as a journalist and writer. He became known as the “Poet of the Heath.” As a war volunteer in World War I, he died in France in 1914. The Hermann-Löns-Stein Stone connects us to a man of science and literature. It is a reminder of his complex life. It also gives an insight into his time here in Münster.
Later, the Nazis misused his works for propaganda. In Münster, a street has been named in his honor since 1927. It runs from Ostmarkstraße to Egbertstraße. A memorial event marked the 100th anniversary of his death in Wienburg. Bernd Löckener gave a lecture about Löns at the event. The Hermann-Löns-Stein Stone invites us to reflect on his legacy.