Stadtmuseum Das Tor
City museum in the medieval Walkenbrückentor: over 1,200 years of Coesfeld city history with free admission.
About the museum
The Walkenbrückentor on Mühlenplatz is the only surviving one of the five gates of Coesfeld's medieval city fortifications. It is first mentioned in records in 1339. Over the centuries, the structure served, among other things, as a customs post, prison, warehouse, and residence. It was badly hit in the air raids in spring 1945 and was rebuilt in its outer form after the war.
Since 1988, the gate has housed the city museum. From 2010 it was fundamentally redesigned: in January 2012, a first section opened under the name "Das Tor" with rooms on Jewish life and the Nazi era, and since 2020 the fully modernized permanent exhibition has been on view.
The exhibition extends over several floors of the tower and its two annexes. In thematic islands, it leads from trade and the Hanseatic League through the emergence of the town in the Middle Ages, the baroque fortress town, and the 19th century to the Nazi era and the 1950s and 1960s; references to the Baumberge region are also included. In the tower room is a "Forscherlabor" (researcher's lab) for school classes and workshops. The municipal museum also includes the Ehemalige Synagoge (former synagogue) on Weberstraße.
Highlights
- Coesfeld's last surviving city gate, first mentioned in 1339
- Permanent exhibition on over 1,200 years of city history (new since 2020)
- Rooms on Jewish life and the Nazi era in Coesfeld
- Researcher's lab in the tower with a view over the town
- Children's trail with the mascot "Coelette"
- Museum garden on the Berkel-Umflut
Permanent exhibitions
- Stadtgeschichte Coesfeld – The exhibition, completely redesigned in 2020, leads through more than 1,200 years of Coesfeld history in thematic islands – from trade and the Hanseatic League through the fortress town to the postwar period.
- Founded
- 1988
- Operated by
- Stadt Coesfeld, Fachbereich Kultur & Weiterbildung
- Director
- Dr. Kristina Sievers-Fleer
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Admission is free for everyone. |
|---|
Free admission; the monthly public tours are also free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The listed building is not fully accessible; part of the permanent exhibition can be reached with a stair-climbing device. Individual advice in advance from the museum team.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Kids’ birthday parties
A children's trail with the museum mascot, the cow "Coelette," leads through the exhibition. For children's groups there are programs such as collage crafting, papermaking, seal casting, and a time-explorer treasure hunt – also bookable as a children's birthday party.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
Room I and the researcher's lab in the tower are used for smaller events, exhibitions, and workshops; inquiries to the museum team.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 18:00 a free overview or themed tour without registration. Group and school programs (daycare through secondary school) by arrangement with the museum education team. |
