The Uniforms of the Münster Military in the Prince-Bishopric Period (in the 18th Century)

With the establishment of an episcopal seat in Münster the city also had to be provided with fortifications. This happened in the late 12th century. The city was also granted the right of self-defence, i.e. it possessed its own military sovereignty with its own soldiers. Since the Middle Ages the Diocese of Münster had developed into an independent state. Münster was thereby part of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster and at times its largest garrison. The city therefore also had to accommodate a varying number of garrison soldiers with their wives and children. Under Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen (1606–78) the Prince-Bishopric of Münster possessed a capable but completely oversized army. In 1672 he is said to have had around 60,000 men under arms. His ambitious plans did not become reality and the budget for the Münster military was significantly reduced under his successors. The remaining regiments we find, on the basis of subsidy treaties (e.g. with the Dutch, as late as 1793), on a wide variety of theatres of war. Furthermore, imperial military obligations had to be fulfilled. In the War of the Austrian Succession (1744) the Prince-Bishopric of Münster practised an armed neutrality. In the Seven Years' War (1756–63) Münster troops fought (against Prussia) with little success; for example, two regiments were surprised and taken prisoner on 01.04.1759 at Meiningen in their winter quarters. The last deployment of Münster troops saw them as part of a so-called imperial enforcement army in favour of the Prince-Bishop of Liège, who had been expelled by his subjects, in 1789.

After the Thirty Years' War, as territorial-state sovereignty developed, the military system evolved toward a standing army. In almost all states this development was accompanied by a power struggle between the prince and the estates. The estates were to grant the financial means for an instrument that could be used both externally and internally. For this reason they feared — not entirely without reason — the end of their say in financial matters and in foreign and  domestic policy. The ecclesiastical principalities had the peculiarity that the prince-bishop had to be elected by the cathedral chapter and invested by the Emperor as an imperial prince and by the Pope as bishop. The cathedral chapter of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster consisted of 41 noble canons, who often claimed special privileges for themselves. The city of Münster also asserted such rights. The prince was supported in his governance by several administrative bodies, e.g. the Pfennigkammer, the Hofkammer and the Privy Council. The prince-bishops lived under official celibacy and were necessarily dependent on the cathedral chapter's choice, so there was no succession from father to son. Continuity in foreign and domestic policy was therefore scarcely possible under these conditions. This also affected military policy and the long-term development of the military system.

In the 17th century the military in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster also mainly consisted of mercenaries whom recruiting officers had enlisted. Forced recruitment was not excluded.

The army was already divided into infantry, cavalry and artillery, with the infantry, consisting of musketeers and pikemen, forming the main force. In the first half of the 18th century the prince-bishop's army numbered 7 infantry regiments, 1 land regiment, 2 cavalry regiments and 1 artillery detachment. An infantry regiment regularly comprised 8 companies with an approximate strength of about 50 men each.

The land regiment is said to have comprised 10 companies.

A cavalry regiment had only 6 companies with an approximate strength of about 40 men each. However, only a small portion of them were mounted.

The artillery detachment had only about 100 men. The total strength of the armed force in peacetime was about 3,800–4,000 men.

The wartime strength was roughly twice as large.

After the Seven Years' War not only was the city of Münster de-fortified, but the number of formations was also reduced to 4 infantry regiments and 1 cavalry regiment — with a simultaneous reduction of the artillery.

The land regiment had already been disbanded earlier.

In 1802 the effective strength of Münster troops had already fallen to 1,401 (1,399) men of infantry, 328 (326) dragoons and 49 (47) artillerymen 2. At that time the individual formations in existence were the infantry regiments von Dincklage (No. 1), von Tönnemann (No. 7), the dragoon regiment von Nagel (No. 1) and the artillery.

The introduction of uniform dress initially caused great difficulties in the pre-industrial era (not only in the prince-bishopric of Münster). At the same time, however, due to the increased demand - very much in the spirit of mercantilism - the (domestic) cloth industry and dyeing trade were strongly promoted by the introduction of uniforms. New issuing of uniforms took place every two years - annually in Prussia. The details of the uniform and equipment were initially left to the regimental chiefs/commanders. They did not always organize procurement to the advantage of the soldiers. They concluded contracts with suppliers independently; later state bodies took over this function. Preserved, for example, for the prince-bishopric of Münster is the so-called Kettelhack contract of 17.12.1718 concerning the outfitting of the Münster cavalry regiment No. 2 (Westerholt)2 or the so-called Oppenheimer contracts from 1740³. The uniform was always part of the soldier’s pay and thus his property. Self-outfitting as a means of procuring military clothing occurred after 1700 only for the higher ranks. Bulk procurement for the remaining soldiers required the delivery of textile yardage in sufficient quantity and quality and production according to exact specifications. For bulk fabric supply, powerful manufactories or efficient trades or guilds had to be available. Production was done by hand; this could be entrusted to a contractor or merchant as intermediary or directly to the (textile) producer. Some manufacturing processes were also carried out as home work, e.g. embroideries 3.

Despite all differences between the various branches of service and individual formations, every army was united by identical emblems; accordingly, heraldic elements were also found in the prince-bishopric’s military on the fittings of the cartridge pockets, on the officers’ ring collars and in the field signs (however, hardly any Münster flags are known). Another unifying element was certain—mostly heraldically determined—colors. These were the blue/silver of the Wittelsbachs, later red-gold, then blue-red (1785, previously black-red-gold). These colors were found in the portepee, in the sash and in the officers’ hat cord, and in the tassels and hat plumes of the non-commissioned officers. Officers wore ring collars; from 1785 infantry and artillery officers no longer had sashes. Infantry (already attested in 1719) and artillery wore dark blue coats with yellow buttons as well as black gaiters and neckcloths.

The infantry regiments were distinguished by color differences in the cuffs, facings, lining, collars and undergarments.

The colors of the infantry in the year 1744 were as follows:

1 Lehrbach - blue coats, cuffs, collars and linings red, undergarments straw-colored, buttons yellow

2 Elverfeldt - blue coats, cuffs and lining red, undergarments white, buttons yellow

3 Corfey - blue coats, cuffs and lining red, undergarments blue, buttons white

4 Cavalles - like Corfey

5 Pasqualini - like Corfey

6 Schorlemer - blue coats, cuffs and lining yellow, undergarments yellow, buttons yellow

7 Sachsen - Gotha - blue coats, cuffs, collars and lining red, undergarments straw-colored, buttons yellow

The grenadiers wore - depending on the political inclination of the prince-bishop - sometimes (Austrian) "bearskins" or (Prussian) "yellow" metal caps. From 1787 the wearing of bearskins is again documented.

At that time the infantry consisted of 2,503 men; in the year 1756 it numbered 2,646 men.

The horsemen wore white (1718 white-gray) coats with red (No. 1) or blue (No. 2) cuffs, facings, collars and linings, as well as paille or yellow undergarments and yellow buttons (yellow = paille).

For the mounted life guard blue coats with red cuffs are mentioned.

The artillery had red cuffs, facings, collars and linings and white undergarments, gold-braided hats and blue overcoats.

In the second half of the 18th century — following the Prussian example — a rationalization of uniforming can be observed in Münster, as in other states.

An eyewitness report from 1803 describes the uniforming of Münster troops as follows: "The Münster military also always had much resemblance to the Prussian. The infantry wore blue, half blue with red, the other half blue with yellow. The artillery was nicer, it wore blue with red and the officers wore a black plume. The cavalry wore white with plume; the drummers and trumpeters wore red with white plume."

The undergarments were white in all infantry regiments from 1786, the lining red.

Two regiments (Stael and Wenge) then had red facings and lapels and yellow buttons, and two other regiments (Lippe and Wartensleben) had yellow facings.

In the already mentioned dedicated work by Dieter Zeigert on the Münster troops and their incorporation into the Prussian army 1802/03, the author quotes in the appendix a document from the Tatenhausen archive containing the last official description of the uniform for the Münster infantry and cavalry:

Infanterie

"This uniform consists of a dark blue coat, with a ponceau red collar, likewise Swedish facings; red lining, eight white raised buttons on each side, included are a white waistcoat and breeches together with a broad curved silver braid around the hat, and a black neckcloth."

Kavallerie

"This uniform consists of a white coat with a red standing collar, and red Swedish facings with six small white raised buttons set two by two on each side; on the right side two more of the same are set out in front, white lining together with silver shoulder cord, paillie waistcoat and breeches. The surtout is dark blue, and red round facings, the same collar and lining, large white plain buttons together with paillie waistcoat and breeches. The hat has a broad curved silver braid, silver agraffe, the appropriate cord together with plume for this uniform is worn like a black neckcloth" 5.

1. Dieter Zeigert, The Münster Troops and Their Incorporation into the Prussian Army 1802/03, In. Westfälische Zeitschrift, vol. 141/1991, p. 206.

2. See also the earlier work by Bruno Haas-Tenckhoff, The Prince-Bishopric of Münster's Military in the 18th Century, in: Westfalen vol. 15, 1930, p. 141 ff.

3. See in particular: Hans Bleckwenn, Kurköln/ Münster and the "Miles perpetuus", in: Johann Conrad Schlaun 1695 - 1773. Schlaun Study III. Catalogue. 1973, p. 173 ff.

4. Information taken from: G. Tessin, Contributions to the Formation History of the Münster Military, 106.

5. In Westfälische Zeitschrift, vol. 141/1991, p. 240.