Introduction
The Literary Commission for Westphalia is a scientific commission headed by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) in Münster. We specialise in archiving, exploring and facilitating engagement with Westphalian literature from the 18th century to the present day.
Our responsibilities range from editorial tasks and bio-bibliographical work to the preservation of literary estates, publications in the literary field as well as hosting exhibitions and events.
For questions concerning the Literary Commission please contact us.
Key areas of activity
Museum of Westphalian Literature
The Museum of Westphalian Literature was founded at the initiative of the Literary Commission in 2001. It resides at the former manor house Kulturgut Haus Nottbeck and is located in the Münsterland region between Oelde and Rheda-Wiedenbrück. The museum houses a permanent exhibition that follows the historical epochs of Westphalian literature from the 18th century to the present day. Visual and acoustic installations allow visitors to explore the showroom floors independently. A free-access library offers the use of reference books, literary magazines or electronic catalogues.
The Kulturgut Haus Nottbeck also provides the premises for many other literature-related events, such as readings, performances, workshops, concerts and theatre plays.
Droste Research Centre
The Literary Commission for Westphalia has a seperate department dedicated to research on Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, which serves as a point of contact for researchers throughout the world. The Commission works with the materials that have been accumulated during the production of the historical-critical Droste edition, including a specialised library on Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and an archive of manuscripts given to the Commission on permanent loan.
The Droste Research Centre is intended to relocate to castle Hülshoff and to be restructured into the Droste Research Institute once the necessary space is made available. Also on the agenda is a conceptual redesign of castle Hülshoff’s museum.
The Westphalian Literature Archive
The Westphalian Literature Archive is jointly run by the LWL-Archivamt for Westphalia and the LWL Literary Commission for Westphalia. The Archivamt for Westphalia supplies the archival knowledge combined with decades of experience in the area of regional archive maintenance.
Literary estates are of immense cultural and historical value. To collect, preserve and develop literary estates is the principal duty of literary archives by which they provide an important contribution towards our cultural memory.
The Westphalian literature archive serves as a central nodal point for literary estates of Westphalian authors and offers expert advice on all questions concerning the subject of literary estates of the Westphalian region.
Dictionary of Westphalian Authors
The Dictionary of Westphalian Authors is an online based reference medium curated by the Literary Commission for Westphalia. It provides bio-bibliographical information on almost 2.500 authors who were born – or died – in Westphalia, or whose literary activities were tied to the Westphalian region for at least ten years.
The dictionary covers the period between 1750 and 1950 and contains over 80.000 biographical references to primary and secondary literature. The years from 1950 to date are currently being added.
Contact details
Prof. Dr. Stefan Höppner
managing director – project development, head of Nottbeck Literature Museum
Stefan.Hoeppner@lwl.org
0251-591-5705
Dr. Anke Kramer
Droste Research Center, Westphalian Literature Archive
Anke.Kramer@lwl.org
0251-591-4681
Gwendolyn Hillmer, M.A.
academic trainee
Gwendolyn.Hillmer@lwl.org
0251-591-6735
Lisa Kerkhoff
student trainee – Dictionary of Westphalian Authors, Bibliothek Westfalica, proofreading
Lisa.Kerkhoff@lwl.org
0251-591-5710
Cilly Krämer
student trainee – Westphalian Literature Archive
Cilly.Kraemer@lwl.org
0251-591-5710
Frieda Krüger
student trainee – Westphalian Literature Archive
Frieda.Krueger@lwl.org
0251-591-5710
Verena Meyer
student trainee – Portal of Westphalian Literature, proofreading
Verena.Meyer@lwl.org
0251-591-6870
Alexandra Schwind
student trainee – Droste Research Center
Alexandra.Schwind@lwl.org
0251-591-6870
Address
The head office of the Literary Commission is located inside the Erbdrostenhof in Münster.
LWL Literary Commission for Westphalia
(Erbdrostenhof)
Salzstraße 38
48133 Münster
Internship
If you are interested in an internship (min. four weeks), we offer you the opportunity to gain insight into our various fields of activity and to assist the Literary Commission team in working on current projects. Studies in the humanities (fifth semester or above) along with a keen interest in literature and a good knowledge of German are required.
Please send us your detailed application documents, specifying your preferred period of time.
Contact person:
Gwendolyn Hillmer
Gwendolyn.Hillmer@lwl.org
0251-591-6735
Management and members
The Literary Commission chooses its own projects and research programs. They require the approval of both the Executive Board and the general meeting. Below you can find a list of our current staff members.
Chairman
Prof. Dr. Moritz Baßler, Universität Münster
Board of directors
Prof. Dr. Norbert Otto Eke, Universität Paderborn
Prof. Dr. Walter Gödden (kooptiertes Mitglied), ehemaliger Geschäftsführer Literaturkommission für Westfalen
Prof. Dr. Peter Heßelmann, Universität Münster
Prof. Dr. Bernd Kortländer, Heinrich-Heine-Institut Düsseldorf
Arnold Maxwill, Fritz-Hüser-Institut, Dortmund
Dr. Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger, LWL-Kulturdezernentin
Katharina Tiemann, LWL-Archivamt Münster
Prof. Dr. Winfried Woesler, Universität Osnabrück
MembersDr. Jörg Albrecht, Burg Hülshoff – Center for Literature, Havixbeck
PD Dr. Michael Baldzuhn, Universität Hamburg
Dr. Iuditha Balint, Fritz-Hüser-Institut, Dortmund
Dr. Mechthild Black-Veldtrup, Historische Kommission für Westfalen Münster
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Blasberg, Universität Münster
Prof. Dr. Andreas Blödorn, Universität Münster
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Michael Bogdal, Universität Bielefeld
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Braungart, Universität Bielefeld
Ltd. Landesverwaltungsdirektor i.R. Wilm Brepohl, Münster
Georg Bühren, Münster
Prof. Dr. Antje Dammel, Kommission für Mundart- und Namenforschung Westfalen
Dr. Stephan Dietrich, Verlagswesen, Paderborn
PD Dr. Stefan Elit, Universität Paderborn
Dagmar Fretter, Kunststiftung NRW, Düsseldorf
Dr. Bernd Füllner, Heinrich-Heine-Institut Düsseldorf
Prof. Dr. Walter Gödden, ehemaliger Geschäftsführer Literaturkommission für Westfalen
Dr. Jürgen Gunia, Universität Münster
Dr. Katharina Grabbe, Universität Münster
Dr. Dirk Hallenberger, Universität Münster
Dr. Bertram Haller, Senden
Dr. Stephanie Heimgartner, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Iris Hennig, Victor Rolff Stiftung, Burg Gladbach
Prof. Dr. Iris Hermann, Universität Bamberg
Prof. Dr. Britta Herrmann, Universität Münster
Dr. Hartmut Kasper, Germanist und Schriftsteller
Prof. Dr. Uwe-Kai Ketelsen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Dr. Michael Kienecker, Literarisches Leben, Verlagswesen, Paderborn
Dr. Alois Klotzbücher, Historische Kommission für Westfalen Münster ✝
Dr. Herbert Knorr, Westfälisches Literaturbüro Unna
Prof. Dr. Ralph Köhnen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Kühlmann, Universität Heidelberg
Dr. Tobias Lachmann, Technische Universität Dortmund
Dr. Claudia Lieb, Universität Münster
Beate Möllers, Land NRW, Düsseldorf
Prof. Dr. Rita Morrien, Universität Paderborn
Prof. Dr. Ortrun Niethammer, Universität Osnabrück
Dr. Iris Nölle-Hornkamp, Literarisches Leben in Westfalen, Münster
Prof. Dr. Rainer Noltenius, Dortmund
Dr. Rüdiger Nutt-Kofoth, Universität Wuppertal
Hanneliese Palm, ehem. Fritz-Hüser-Institut, Selm
Prof. Dr. Rolf Parr, Universität Duisburg-Essen
Prof. Dr. Ernst Ribbat, Universität Münster
Prof. Dr. Karl Riha, Universität Siegen
Dr. Nils Rottschäfer, Universität Bielefeld
Hanns-Martin Rüter, Aisthesis Verlag, Bielefeld
Prof. Dr. Erhard Schütz, Humboldt-Universität Berlin
Dr. Susanne Schulte, GWK, Münster
Prof. Dr. Kai Sina, Universität Münster
Dr. Mirjam Springer, Universität Münster
Dr. Thomas Strauch, Universität Paderborn
Dr. Nesrin Tanç, freie Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaftlerin
Dr. Georg Veit, Annette von Droste-Gesellschaft, Münster
Dr. Michael Vogt
Prof. Dr. Martina Wagner-Egelhaaf, Universität Münster
Hermann Wallmann, Literaturverein Münster
Dr. Joachim Wittkowski, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Cooperations
The Literary Commission frequently collaborates with universities, museums, literature offices, foundations and other cultural institutions. Our regular partners are listed below.
Aisthesis Publishing Company Bielefeld
Annette von Droste-Society
Working Group of Literary Societies and Memorials
Council for Literature NRW
LWL-Archivamt for Westphalia
LWL Multimedia Centre of Westphalia
Museum of Westphalian Literature
Nyland Foundation Cologne
Rhenish Literature Archive Düsseldorf
University of Münster
University of Paderborn
Westphalian Office for Literature Unna
Media
Instagram
Our instagram account offers insights into our day-to-day business and information about our latest events and publications. Follow us @literatur_in_westfalen.
In addition to that, there is a joint Instagram account of all commissions under the LWL umbrella. We offer you insights into many different aspects of our work and keep you up to date with events. Follow us @leben.in.westfalen.
Twitter
On our Twitter page you can get insights into our day-to-day business and stay informed about our latest events and publications. Follow us @LiKoWestfalen.
Audio walk "Walk like a [female*] poet"
The 60-minute audio walk takes you through the city center of Münster – tracing the footsteps of five female writers: Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Clara Ratzka, Katharina Schücking, May Ayim and Mathilde Franziska Anneke.
Hausblog
The digital twin of Haus Nottbeck’s literature museum. Relevant topics and stories are discussed in greater detail here.Der etwa 60-minütige Hörspaziergang führt entlang verschiedener Gebäude und öffentlicher Plätze, die mit dem Leben und Schreiben der Schriftstellerinnen Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Clara Ratzka, Katharina Schücking, May Ayim und Mathilde Franziska Anneke verbunden sind.
Stop and Read
Authors introduce themselves in short reading sessions.
Please note
For more information, i.e. current events, visit our main page (in german).