The Visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II from August 29 to September 1, 1907, in Münster

"'Glorious Imperial Days' they were to be. From August 29 to September 1 Kaiser Wilhelm II and his consort visited Münster.

From 1802 to 1806 and — after a Napoleonic intermezzo — again from 1813 Münster belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia and to the Province of Westphalia, which was formed in 1815. The latter consisted of three government districts (Arnsberg, Minden and Münster).

Münster was the seat of the General Command of the VII Army Corps.

The commanding general resided in the palace.

Furthermore, Münster was one of the largest garrisons in the Kingdom of Prussia and later in the German Empire.

In 1871 Prussia, and thus Münster, became part of the German Empire.

The Province of Westphalia, incidentally, recorded significant population growth from 1818 (1.14 million) to 1908 (3.729 million). This development was primarily related to the industrial development of the Ruhr area.

The population of Münster also grew steadily. At the end of 1905 Münster already had 81,468 inhabitants, of whom 4,190 were active military personnel.

After a long phase of difficult adaptation of Münster's mainly Catholic population to a state structure shaped by Protestantism, there was — especially after the end of the so-called Kulturkampf — a clear rapprochement to the changed political conditions.

The visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II to Münster announced for 1907 symbolized against this background the process of complete integration of the eastern parts (including the capital) of the defunct Prince-Bishopric of Münster (Hochstift), which had been assigned to Prussia in the course of secularization.

After the early death of his father (Kaiser Friedrich I), Wilhelm II assumed the regency on June 15, 1888.

Born as the first child of Friedrich Wilhelm and Princess Victoria, he was admitted to the army at the age of ten. In 1871 he witnessed the entry of the Prussian army through the Brandenburg Gate. From April 1872 Prince Wilhelm attended the gymnasium in Kassel. On January 27, 187777 the declaration of majority took place in the Old Palace. At the beginning of February 1877 he joined the 1st Guard Regiment of Foot. In the following years Prince Wilhelm studied in Bonn, traveled to England and returned to active military service in 1879. On February 27, 1881 the Crown Prince married Princess Auguste Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. Already on May 6, 1882 the couple's first son (Wilhelm) was born.

After assuming power there were first decrees concerning the army and navy, and travels throughout Europe followed. As German Emperor, Wilhelm was not only sovereign over all Germans but also Supreme Warlord. He constantly emphasized his special closeness to the military and demonstrated this preference by a magnificent "soldier and maneuver spectacle."

[1] Schüssler, Kaiser Wilhelm II., p. 105.

Later in the World War Wilhelm II played only a minor role, although he remained quite popular for a long time and showed his presence in numerous visits to the troops. Faced with the first setbacks the monarch, who was not resilient in crisis, reacted with depression and repeatedly changed his leadership personnel. Around the headquarters he was not the leading figure and, especially since the de facto military dictatorship of Hindenburg and Ludendorff, had only marginal influence. Wilhelm II was probably aware of this shadow existence; as early as November 1914 he told the Prince of Baden: "... Look, I only find out about such things occasionally. The General Staff tells me nothing and does not ask me either. If one imagines in Germany that I lead the army, one is very much mistaken. I drink tea and saw wood and go for walks, and then from time to time I learn that this and that has been done, entirely as it pleased the gentlemen"[1]. After the failed offensive in March 1918 the material superiority of the Allies became ever more overwhelming and defeat loomed. Against the will of the Kaiser the military leadership imposed the armistice (November 18, 1918). The long swan song began with the Kaiser's crossing into the Netherlands; on November 28, 1918 he signed his abdication. First in Amerongen Palace, then in Doorn, Wilhelm II spent many years in exile until he died in Doorn on June 4, 1941.

In retrospect Kaiser Wilhelm II belongs to the personalities of German history who are particularly controversial. His political actions are judged above all negatively. The Austrian writer and journalist Egon Friedell (1878 - 1938) says of him as follows: "Wilhelm the Second has in a certain sense indeed completely fulfilled the task of a king, in that he was almost always the expression of the crushing majority of his subjects, the advocate and executor of their ideas, the representative of their worldview. Most Germans were nothing but pocket editions, reduced copies, miniature prints of Kaiser Wilhelm — and this was felt very clearly abroad. He was simply called 'Le Kaiser', 'The Kaiser', as Napoleon was called 'l'Empereur' throughout Europe; this, however, is the only point in which he touched upon Napoleon." The German historian Golo Mann (1909 - 1994) said the following about Wilhelm II: "So much unkindness has been written about the Kaiser that one hesitates to add anything... He was not an evil man. He wanted to be loved, not to cause suffering. He could lose himself in bloodthirsty speeches; bloody deeds were not his. In fact, action in general was not his thing. He was lazy and pleasure-seeking. Celebrating festivals, traveling, showing himself to the people, leading his guards high on horseback to the maneuver charge, exchanging toasts with his peers at princely banquets, sitting in the court box, dressed like a peacock, stroking his moustache, looking graciously out at the audience, beaming with condescension — that was his style. And he would have liked to keep doing that until the end of his days: an eternal, golden, military, peaceful spectacle of public life, with him at the center" (quoted after Friedrich Hartau, Wilhelm II., p. 145).

Part of this elaborate staging was also the imperial visit of 1907 to Münster discussed here.

The preparations for the imperial visit were initiated by the General Command of the VII Army Corps. At the beginning of 1907 it informed the Lord Mayor of the city of Münster (Dr. Maximilian Jungeblodt) of the forthcoming event. The proposals submitted by the General Command to the Kaiser (of May 8, 1907) regarding the course of the visit were largely accepted by him (June 20, 1907).

The requested program was also communicated to the city of Münster and its preparations then began. On April 17, 1907 the magistrate of the city of Münster decided to form a festival committee. The festival committee formed six commissions on various topics, e.g. decoration, traffic, order — guards of honor, music, etc. Furthermore, approval was requested for an open credit of 100,000 marks from the net surpluses of the municipal utilities from 1906 to cover the expected costs.

The citizenry was to be intensively involved in the preparations. Thus, residents of certain streets were invited by notices in the Münsterischer Anzeiger to participate in decorating them.

Concrete principles were developed for police cordons on the occasion of the Kaiser's visit. Warnings were also issued about possible anti-military poster actions by the Social Democrats (letter from the Oberpräsident of the Province of Westphalia dated August 27, 1907). A planned vocal performance was limited to only three songs (letter of June 12, 1907).

[p. 120] "It is a heartfelt need for me to express my most sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart to the representatives of the province whom I have gathered about me today, for the manner in which I have been received everywhere in the beautiful land of Westphalia. I would also like to repeat once again to you all, in the name of Her Majesty the Empress and Queen, how infinitely saddened she is that, due to the accident, she was not permitted to take part in the Westphalian days and to come into personal contact with you and the Westphalian people."

"The Province of Westphalia offers a fine picture that it is indeed possible to unite historical, confessional and economic differences in a reconciliatory manner in love and loyalty to the common fatherland. The province consists of different regions, many of which have long belonged to the Crown of Prussia and some of which have only been added later. Yet they all compete with one another in loyal affiliation to our House. Just as I make no distinction between old and new regions, so I make no distinction between subjects of Catholic and Protestant confession. For both stand on the foundation of Christianity, and both strive to be loyal citizens and obedient subjects. All my countrymen are equally close to my paternal heart. Economically the province also presents us with a highly pleasing picture. It shows that the major lines of livelihood need not harm one another, and that the prosperity of one benefits the other as well. The farmer cultivates his red Westphalian soil diligently, clinging firmly to tradition and old customs, a hearty nature with iron diligence and honorable disposition, of faithful character, a firm foundation for our state. Therefore the protection of agriculture will always be especially dear to my heart. The citizen develops his cities in ever more perfect ways; magnificent works of public benefit arise, museums and collections, hospitals and churches. In the bosom of your hills rest the treasures which, mined by the industrious hands of the brave [p. 121] miners, give industry the opportunity to exert itself, that industry — the pride of our nation — wonderfully on the rise, envied by all the world. May it be granted to it to continue tirelessly to gather riches for our national wealth and to increase abroad the good reputation of the diligence and quality of German labor."

"I also think here of the workers who perform their work with tireless fists in the enormous industrial enterprises in front of the blast furnaces and underground in the galleries. The care for them, their prosperity and their welfare I have inherited as a cherished legacy from my grandfather, who rests in God, and it is my wish and will that we adhere in the field of social welfare to the principles laid down in the unforgettable message of Wilhelm the Great."

"I would like to see the beautiful image of reconciled unity that the Province of Westphalia presents to the observer extended to our entire fatherland. I believe that for such a unification of all our fellow citizens, of all our estates, only one means is possible, and that is religion. Certainly not understood in a strictly ecclesiastical dogmatic sense, but in the broader, more practical sense for life. I must here draw on my own experiences. In my long reign — it is now the twentieth year that I have begun — I have dealt with many people and have had to endure much from them; often unconsciously and often, alas, also consciously they have hurt me bitterly. And when in such moments I felt anger overcome me and the thought of retribution arose, then I asked myself what means would be most suitable to soften the anger and strengthen leniency. The only thing I found was to tell myself: All are people like you, and although they hurt you, they are bearers of a soul from the bright heights, originating from above, to which we all will once return, and through their soul they carry a part of their Creator within them. Whoever thinks like that will always have a mild judgment of his fellow human beings. If it were possible for this thought to gain ground in the German people for mutual judgment, then the first precondition for complete unity would be created. But this unity can only be achieved in one center: in the person of our Redeemer! In the man who called us brothers, who lived before us all as an example [p. 122], the most personal of personalities. He still walks among the peoples and is perceptible to all of us in our hearts. In looking up to him our people must unite, it must build firmly on his words, of which he himself said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." If it does that, it will succeed. For such cooperation I would like to call today, especially on the Westphalian men. For, as I have previously explained, they have understood how to present the beautiful picture of reconciled contrasts in their province. They will also first and best understand me. In this spirit old and new regions, citizens and workers should join together and act uniformly in equal loyalty and love for the fatherland. Then our German people will be the granite block upon which our Lord God can build and complete His cultural works in the world. Then the poet's words will also be fulfilled which say: "By German character the world will yet be healed." Whoever is ready to offer me his hand for this will have my gratitude, and I will gladly accept him, whoever and of whatever station he may be. I believe that I will be first understood by the Westphalians and that is why I have addressed myself to you."

"Now I raise my glass with the wish that God's blessing may rest upon the old Westphalian red soil and upon all its inhabitants, that I may be granted to preserve peace in the future so that you may pursue your vocation undisturbed. God bless Westphalia! The Province of Westphalia hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!"

Source: Internet portal "Westfälische Geschichte". Reference there: