Cultural asset Haus Nottbeck

The Museum of Westphalian Literature will be twenty-five years old in 2026. Time not only to take stock, but also to look to the future: What will happen to literature, in Westphalia and elsewhere? Will artificial intelligence put writers out of work or inspire new creativity? Will only old reading stories disappear or will new ones grow? How can a museum exhibit literature in a contemporary way? In the outdoor area of the Kulturgut, a literary experience trail invites visitors to discover interactive forms of storytelling and to scrutinise narratives through participatory and creative forms. What influence do narratives have on our image of society? How do they shape us individually? What and how do we want to tell stories in the future? Our anniversary exhibition "The Future of Literature", which opens on 18 April, explores these and other questions.

The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by a varied programme. It will kick off with a few words of welcome from the museum's academic director, Prof Dr Stefan Höppner, and other speakers. Afterwards, representatives from academia, publishing and authors will discuss the development of literature from different perspectives as part of a panel discussion. Atmospheric musical accompaniment will also be provided.

The exhibition opening will be followed by a reading of her new novel "Broken Prince" by author Anyh Omah.

In the beautiful, summery setting of the Haus Nottbeck cultural centre, we’ll be screening a film for the whole family – but which one? That’s a surprise…

For one evening, our Kulturcafé will be transformed into a cinema – complete with a big screen, popcorn, drinks and everything else you’d expect. Admission is free for the whole family!

You can register at museum@kulturgut-nottbeck.de.

Doors open at 5.00 pm, and the film starts at 6.00 pm – and here’s where it gets particularly exciting: we’re not revealing what’s on yet!

But we do have a few clues for you:

The film is based on a children’s and young adult book by an author from Westphalia.

The film is about a gang.

The film has something to do with chickens.

Got any ideas? Then include your guess in your registration – those with the correct answers will have the chance to win a small prize!

Hermann Mensing writes poems, stories, radio plays, theatre plays and novels. His works aim to reflect and surprise everyday life. His texts are absurd and full of humour and they encourage people to make decisions. They combine the political with the poetic and show observations of the past, present and future. Mensing studied in Münster, has travelled the world extensively and began writing children's books in 1984. Since 2005, his first novel "Pop Life" has been aimed primarily at adults.

"The Green Dress" tells the story of Paul and Charlotte. A love story that, if the two of them had their way, would never end. They want to grow old together, but fate has other plans. First it announces a grandson, then an illness. "The Green Dress" is a novel that is clever and knows something about life, one that unites life and death at eye level. A novel that laughs, cries and swears, a novel that celebrates life even though death ends it. Its strength lies in looking transience calmly in the eye in order to view life as a great journey.

This reading combines literary and culinary delights: Mensing reads between the fruit trees over coffee and cake in the summery ambience of the Kulturgut.

An event in the series "Gartengenuss im Münsterland" in co-operation with the association "Das Münsterland - Die Gärten und Parks".

Through their interdisciplinary art label, Jutta and Jan-Christoph Tonig create installations, film, photographic and poetic works, as well as theatre projects – art forms characterised by ingenuity, atmospheric depth and a delight in aesthetic experimentation.

In the exhibition “Echt jetzt?!?”, the artist couple present the large-scale installation “Hier bin ich” (“Here I am”), featuring five matryoshka dolls at the centre of the exhibition space. As a symbol of the cycle of life, these evoke an atmosphere of longing to immerse oneself in the beauty of natural phenomena. Enveloped by a tapestry of sound, the nature figures recite lyrical texts into the space. The result is a multimedia poetic constellation. Alongside this, visitors can experience video interventions in the Literature Museum, video projections in the garden house and sound installations in the outdoor area.

The exhibition opening on 29 August will feature the musician, sound designer and composer Kai Niggemann as part of the duo ‘dAMAGEMENT’ with the singer and dancer Emily Welther, the singer and actress Christiane Hagedorn, performing as part of the duo “Conjak” with Martin Scholz on piano, and the sound artist Peter “Stan Pete” Schwieger with his “body sound translator”. Admission is free.

Lots of books in countless facets, plus a colourful programme on the open-air stage. On 13 September, the grounds of Kulturgut Haus Nottbeck will once again be transformed into an oasis for all literature lovers and bargain hunters. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., you can browse and browse to your heart's content at over 50 stands in the indoor and outdoor areas of the Kulturgut. From novels, crime thrillers, art and travel books to children's books and comics, there is something to suit every taste.