Onboarding Lüdinghausen

Living and working in the Steverstadt

Why do young families move to Lüdinghausen? Why is it so good to live and work here? And what makes the Steverstadt so attractive? Nadine Wenge visited the three young couples and talked to them about it. Sven and Verena Dütting, Felix and Prof. Alexandra Röing, known as Nölke, and Johannes and Anna Klippel. And they all agree: "Lüdinghausen is simply beautiful".

"Like a fairytale town"

Anna and Johannes Klippel came to the town from Wiesbaden on a Friday evening to look at an apartment. They already knew Lüdinghausen because Anna's aunt lives here. And whenever they visited, they both agreed: "Wow, it's nice here." That evening, after viewing the apartment, they walked along Mühlenstraße towards the castle. "It was the evening market," recalls Johannes Klippel. "And that was the final straw. It seemed like a fairytale town."

That was in 2017, when the two qualified osteopaths came to the town to set up their own osteopathy practice, "In guten Händen". They met Andrea Teipel by chance and initially stayed there "as a subtenant". When the opportunity arose to move into their current premises in the medical center on Neustraße, they jumped at the chance. "At 125 square meters, the practice was quite large at first, but it was just right," says Anna Klippel. Shortly afterwards, midwife Annette Höning moved in as a subtenant. "A super symbiosis, because we also treat pregnant women and babies for the most part," says Johannes Klippel. Today, the practice is so well established that they would like to employ their first osteopath on April 1 and would like to fill another half-time position.

Anna Klippel: "As things stand today, we'll never leave here again. The start-up went like clockwork. We enjoy an ultra-high quality of life. When I walk along the castles with our dog Edda at lunchtime, I think: Hey, that's my way to work." It was important to them to have everything locally and not have to rely on their car. Other plus points for Lüdinghausen: lots of water, good restaurants, a market. On a personal level, the two feel they are in good hands: "The people here are super nice." They are members of the tennis club, Johannes Klippel looks after the Union Lüdinghausen footballers on a voluntary basis, Anna Klippel is involved in the animal shelter and once a month they treat the residents of the Caritas residential home.

"Actually, we had once dreamed of opening our practice in a remaining farm," says the 29-year-old. "In the meantime, we've come down to earth and would be happy if we could find a house or plot of land at all." "If there's one criticism, it's that it's very difficult for young couples who don't yet have children to get a nice property," adds her husband.

"The twins can grow up here"

Felix Röing, known as Nölke, is a returnee. Born in Lüdinghausen, he returned to the Steverstadt in 2020 together with his wife Alexandra. After more than 10 years in Bavaria and two and a half years in Berlin, the architect couple decided to move to Lüdinghausen. "I worked at the Federal Ministry of Construction and my wife set up the office," says Felix Nölke. "Then we had a baby on the way and we thought about putting all our eggs in one basket and running the office together. We had been thinking about it for a long time."

No sooner said than done: the couple moved into an urban villa on Steverstraße, garden to garden with the grandparents, which also houses the architecture firm. "We can combine work and family life perfectly here and we can imagine our twins growing up here," explains Alexandra Nölke. While her husband has always appreciated Lüdinghausen, the proximity to Münster was a decisive factor for the 38-year-old. "We hope to attract graduates from the university to our office." Secondly, Lüdinghausen has many daycare centers and good schools. "Lüdinghausen is not a country town or a dormitory town, it is half an hour away from the Ruhr area and Münster. It's comparable to the suburbs of a big city," says Felix Nölke. The town has done an incredible amount right in the last ten years, says the 39-year-old architect, referring to the moated castle landscape, the town center and the revitalization of the church square. If he could wish for anything, it would be more innovative and affordable housing concepts away from the usual detached house and the closing of gaps between buildings in the city center. "It's a shame that in many beautiful places in the city there are parking lots instead of houses," says Alexandra Nölke. The two can also imagine revitalizing the canal and Klutensee as local recreation areas.

The district of Coesfeld is very healthy, a growth region and therefore also very interesting for their architecture firm. "Professionally, we have arrived here very well. The conversion of the monastery in Seppenrade is a great project in which we are implementing what we want for Lüdinghausen and Seppenrade: Multi-generational living. My wife has also accepted a position as Professor of Architecture at the IU International University."

Lüdinghausen is a town that is second to none. "We have friends from all over Germany who visit us. They have a completely different idea of Münsterland. Once they get to know the moated castle landscape, Nordkirchen Castle and Münster, they are all thrilled," says Alexandra Nölke. Felix Nölke remembers the many Westphalian and home-style restaurants and pubs that Lüdinghausen used to have in his youth. "It would be nice if that could be revived."

Love at first sight

Verena and Sven Dütting fell in love with the city at first sight two years ago. "It was clear to us that we wanted to move to Münsterland and we looked at what was fairly central between our hometowns. That was Lüdinghausen," says Sven Dütting. One rainy Sunday, they paid a visit to the town and were both convinced: "If we like it so much under the circumstances, then we'll move here."

They moved into their apartment six months later and have felt right at home here ever since. Sven Dütting has been working as Head of Quality Management at PE.WE. GmbH. "One of the deciding factors for this job was that I settled here," says the 32-year-old. "Because they wanted someone who would stay with the company for longer." Verena Dütting works at the NRW Fire Service Institute in Münster, including home office. "It's a perfect fit," says the 26-year-old.

"Lüdinghausen appealed to us with its beautiful size, lots of water, good connections and its small alleyways and gabled houses. A bit like a small cathedral," say the two. "And what we noticed straight away: the people here are super friendly!" Other plus points: Cinema, lots of culture, owner-managed stores. "We took part in the night watchman tour for new residents, have already canoed on the Stever and are members of various Facebook groups - if Lüdinghausen, then it's the right place." For all their enthusiasm for the town, the two also have three wishes: more restaurants on the market square, a pub that is open longer at night. And: the chance to have their own house. Nadine Wenge