Münster welcomes new citizens again in 2026 – reception returns!

Münster welcomes new citizens again in 2026 – reception returns!

Something is happening in Münster! After a severe corona-related dry spell, the popular welcome for new residents is returning. From 2026, this event will take place every two years. The last reception took place in the Kulturhalle in 2019 and was very popular at the time. The return is intended to warmly welcome new arrivals to the community and to promote networking between the new citizens and those already living there as well as the local associations. According to op-online, Münster currently has around 14,800 inhabitants, a trend that is expected to continue to develop positively.

The reception of new citizens was stopped in 2020 due to the pandemic. In March 2025, however, the FDP requested that it be reinstated. All four factions of the municipal council agreed and approved the project. The FDP presented six convincing arguments for the return of the reception:

• Erleichterung des Einstiegs neuer Einwohner in die Gemeinde.
• Möglichkeit zur Vernetzung zwischen Neubürgern und bestehenden Einwohnern sowie Vereinen.
• Vermittlung von Informationen über die Gemeinde, Dienstleistungen und Freizeitmöglichkeiten.
• Stärkung des Gemeinschaftsgefühls durch aktive Ansprache neuer Bürger.
• Förderung der Identifikation mit der Gemeinde.
• Möglichkeit für Neubürger, frische Perspektiven und Ideen einzubringen.

The FDP originally wanted to host the reception annually, but after careful consideration and for cost reasons, they decided on a two-year cycle. If you would like more information about this, you can take a look at the website welcomemuenster.

Inclusion as a central theme

But the return of welcoming new citizens is not the only thing on the agenda. The topic of inclusion is also very important in Münster. According to a report from muensterzukunft, people with disabilities currently take little part in civic participation offers. An inclusive approach should ensure that this group of people is also actively integrated into the community. Reducing barriers to access could not only benefit people with disabilities, but the entire population.

Münster has drawn up an action plan to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-BRK) with the aim of strengthening the participation of people with disabilities in public life. What is particularly important is the perspective of those affected: they should identify hurdles themselves. To support this initiative, volunteers were trained as “participation pilots” who are supposed to explore and further develop citizen participation offerings, for example in the area of ​​urban planning.

So a lot is happening in Münster. Both the return of the new citizen welcome and the inclusion initiatives show that the city is striving to create a lively, welcoming community in which no one should feel excluded. There is great anticipation for the coming years and it will be exciting to see how Münster will develop further.