Prussia has left its historical traces in the country that can still be discovered today. With the https://www.netzwerk-preussen-in-westfalen.de/de/ network "Prussia in Westphalia," one can embark on a journey through time. In 2016, the network was established at the initiative of the https://www2.lwl.org/de/LWL/portal/ Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) to make the diverse Prussian history of Westphalia tangible; in the Ruhr area, East Westphalia, or the Sauerland. Everywhere, one discovers the historical relics – buildings, monuments, and industrial plants, the ubiquitous Hohenzollern and Bismarck streets throughout the country, or football clubs like Borussia Dortmund or Preußen Münster.
With the https://www.netzwerk-preussen-in-westfalen.de/de/aktuelles/preussen-air/ podcast "Prussia on Air," one can listen into the history.
The https://www.netzwerk-preussen-in-westfalen.de/de/netzwerk/besuchen/lwl-preussenmuseum-minden/ LWL-Prussian Museum Minden sends a volunteer through the country to track down the Prussians in Westphalia. So far, three episodes are available for free, each roughly 15 minutes long, dealing with the historical developments of various places.
Episode 1 focuses on Altena Castle in the Sauerland, which is now used as a youth hostel; it also houses the Museum of the County of Mark, the World Youth Hostel Museum, the Märkisches Blacksmith Museum, and the German Wandering Museum. Was it the ancestral castle of the Hohenzollerns? Museum educator Bernadette Lange tells this story.
In the second episode, the history of the Wewelsburg District Museum is in the spotlight. The architecturally unique castle has international significance today – curator Markus Moors discusses this. Then, in the third episode, it goes to the LWL-Prussian Museum Minden. How and why the Prussians came to appreciate the city of Minden is revealed to listeners by museum director Philipp Koch.
Those who want to explore the Prussian-shaped places themselves after listening have a wide selection in Westphalia: from the Historical Museum Bielefeld and the impressive Wewelsburg in the Paderborn district, to the LVR Industrial Museums Glashütte Gernheim and the Hattingen Henrichshütte, up to the Optical Telegraph Station Oeynhausen and the Dalheim Monastery, the Museum for Monastic Culture.
An overview of the houses and institutions can be found https://www.netzwerk-preussen-in-westfalen.de/de/netzwerk/besuchen/ and for the podcast, click here https://www.netzwerk-preussen-in-westfalen.de/de/aktuelles/preussen-air
