Company History

The foundation for today's optician's shop was laid over 350 years ago.

According to the Meppener Tagespost of November 30, 1963, the church register of St. Vinzenz states that the goldsmith Joist von Münster married Gieseke Eilers on October 27, 1663, making him the oldest documented Münster in Haselünne. "The next goldsmiths after Joist were his son Wilhelm and after him his grandson Walter von Münster. After Walter, the noble title of the Münsters was lost. Walter's son Bernard is only listed as Bernard Joseph Münster in the church's charter book. His son Bernard founded a family with Margarethe Angela Maria Anna Dreesmann on November 25, 1828, and their offspring Bernhard married Helene Elisabeth Adelheid Heydt in 1887. Reinhard Münster, who owned the company until his death in 1962, sprang from this marriage," according to the newspaper article.

In 1925, the Münster family business, long established in Haselünne as a watch and jewelry retailer, the then owner Reinhard Münster decided to expand the product range and set up an optics department. He started with three drawers full of glasses, one for ladies, one for men, and one for children. In 1952, Robert Münster succeeded in establishing a proper department for optics, which was later further expanded and given its own entrance. In the 1970s, he was also able to acquire the neighboring house and expand the business. In 1984, the Münster family's business premises at Hasestr. 3-4 were replaced by a new building, where the business is still located today.

In 1998, the optics department was further renovated by the current owner Bernd Münster. He had completed his training as an optician in 1979 and joined his parents' business in 1982. There he initially worked as a journeyman and completed training as a watchmaker, which he finished in 1984. In 1989, he passed his master optician's examination and became the responsible head of the ophthalmic optics department. He has been the owner of the traditional Haselünne company since 1997.

Another change occurred in 2004. In order to be able to fully concentrate on ophthalmic optics as a master, he handed over the watch and jewelry section to master goldsmith Werner Behnen, who, however, remained active in the same building.

The modern technical equipment at Münster includes the latest measuring devices for spectacle lens determination and contact lens fitting, a modern video centering device for optical measurement of progressive lenses and frame consultation, and a CNC-controlled grinding machine for manufacturing glasses in the in-house workshop.