Suche
Mein Konto
Peace lights illuminate Münster: Religious communities in dialogue!
Around 50 religious representatives met in Münster on October 27th for a dialogue event to promote peace and tolerance.
Peace lights illuminate Münster: Religious communities in dialogue!
On October 27, 2025, a remarkable meeting of around 50 representatives from 34 different religious communities took place in the Peace Hall of the Historic Town Hall in Münster. This annual event not only has a long tradition, but also plays an essential role in interreligious dialogue. Münster's mayor Markus Lewe and Osnabrück's mayor Katharina Pötter symbolically lit peace lights during the event, which made it clear how important tolerance and dialogue are for harmonious coexistence in democratic urban societies. In his remarks, Lewe emphasized the fundamental role of these values.
A central element of the meeting was the lighting ceremony, in which representatives of the various religious communities lit peace candles one after the other. This ceremony is part of an 18-year-old tradition that began with the first meeting at the invitation of the then mayor. Since 2015, the meeting has taken place alternately between the peace cities of Münster and Osnabrück.
An impulse for interreligious exchange
Thomas Nufer, who provided inspiration at the event, presented his project “West-Eastern Divan”. This project focuses on artistic forms of interreligious and intercultural exchange. The exchange of ideas and values is an important step in creating better understanding between faith communities. Ulrike Hanlon from AGIAMONDO emphasizes that religion plays a crucial role in people's identity, comparable to ethnic or national affiliation. She emphasizes that interreligious dialogue can also serve to promote coexistence by creating meeting spaces and understanding one's own religion.
AGIAMONDO's commitment to interreligious dialogue is not only local, but also extends to international platforms. The organization often works with Catholic partners to facilitate better exchange and resolve conflicts constructively. An example from Kenya that aptly illustrates how such initiatives can work is the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC), which is committed to violence prevention and social cohesion.
Future of interreligious dialogue
The goal of these dialogues is to promote trust and accept differences with respect. Interreligious dialogue occurs at various levels, including the dialogue of life, action, and spiritual and theological aspects. The hope is that such initiatives will help bring about positive and lasting change in the way religious communities live together.
This exchange of ideas and the promotion of mutual understanding are also an important aim of the city's “Dialogues on Peace” event series, which is organized jointly by Münster Marketing and the 1648 working group at the Alliance for Science. These regular meetings address an important social concern.
The importance of interreligious dialogue is constantly being re-examined and remains a necessary task that is important not only in Münster but all over the world. These meetings create a valuable space for respectful exchange and togetherness between the different faith communities.
For more information about the meeting of religious communities, please visit the city of Münster: www.stadt-muenster.de. Those interested can also find out more about interreligious dialogue on the AGIAMONDO website: www.agiamondo.de.