Münster (electoral district)

Federal electoral district of Germany

128 Münster

Electoral district
for the Bundestag

Münster in 2025

State| North Rhine-Westphalia
Population| 315,300 (2019)
Electorate| 233,953 (2021)
Major settlements| Münster
Area| 303.3 km2
Current electoral district
Created| 1949
Party| GRÜNE
Member| Sylvia Rietenberg
Elected| 2025

Münster is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 128. It is located in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the city of Münster.[1]

Münster was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. From 2021 to 2025, it has been represented by Maria Klein-Schmeink of the Alliance 90/The Greens.[2] Since 2025 it is represented by Sylvia Rietenberg of the Alliance 90/The Greens.

## Geography

[edit]

Münster is located in northern North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it is coterminous with the independent city of Münster.[1]

## History

[edit]

Münster was created in 1949, then known as Münster-Stadt und -Land. It acquired its current name in the 1965 election. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 38 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 97. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 95. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 99. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 130. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 129. From the 2025 election, it has been number 128.

Originally, the constituency comprised the city of Münster and the Landkreis Münster district. From 1965 through 1976, it comprised the city of Münster and the municipalities of Amelsbüren, Handorf, Hiltrup, and St. Mauritz from the Landkreis Münster district. Since the 1980 election, it has been coterminous with the city of Münster.

Election  | No. | Name  | Borders

|
|
|

1949 | 38 | Münster-Stadt und -Land  |

* Münster city
* Landkreis Münster district

1953 | 97
1957
1961
1965 | 95  | Münster  |

* Münster city
* Landkreis Münster district (only Amelsbüren, Handorf, Hiltrup, and St. Mauritz municipalities)

1969
1972
1976
1980 | 99  |

* Münster city

1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002 | 130
2005
2009
2013 | 129
2017
2021
2025 | 128

## Members

[edit]

The constituency has been held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during all but two Bundestag terms since 1949. It was first represented by Peter Nellen of the CDU from 1949 to 1961, followed by Hermann Diebäcker for two terms and Franz Berding for one. Friedrich-Adolf Jahn was then representative from 1972 to 1994. He was succeeded by Ruprecht Polenz from 1994 to 2002. Christoph Strässer of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2005, but former member Polenz regained the constituency for the CDU in 2009. Sybille Benning was elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2017. Maria Klein-Schmeink was elected for the Greens in 2021. Sylvia Rietenberg was elected for the Greens in 2025.

Election  | Member  | Party  | %

|
|
|

| 1949 | Peter Nellen | CDU | 34.6
1953 | 67.8
1957 | 64.8
| 1961 | Hermann Diebäcker | CDU | 50.0
1965 | 57.0
| 1969 | Franz Berding | CDU | 49.5
| 1972 | Friedrich-Adolf Jahn | CDU | 48.4
1976 | 51.0
1980 | 47.6
1983 | 51.8
1987 | 45.2
1990 | 42.7
| 1994 | Ruprecht Polenz | CDU | 44.0
1998 | 44.2
| 2002 | Christoph Strässer | SPD | 40.8
2005 | 41.7
| 2009 | Ruprecht Polenz | CDU | 39.3
| 2013 | Sybille Benning | CDU | 38.8
2017 | 37.2
| 2021 | Maria Klein-Schmeink | GRÜNE | 32.3
| 2025 | Sylvia Rietenberg | GRÜNE | 31.2

## Election results

[edit]

### 2025 election

[edit]

Federal election (2025): Münster[3]

Notes:  |

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Greens | Sylvia Rietenberg | 64,529  | 31.2  |  1.1  | 55,149  | 26.6  |  4.1
| CDU | Stefan Nacke | 58,996  | 28.5  |  2.4  | 53,313  | 25.7  |  3.3
| SPD | Svenja Schulze | 42,553  | 20.6  |  3.5  | 37,437  | 18.1  |  5.4
| Left | Kathrin Gebel  | 14,083  | 6.8  |  3.2  | 25,927  | 12.5  |  7.5
| AfD | Helmut Birke  | 13,426  | 6.5  |  3.8  | 14,210  | 6.9  |  4.0
| FDP | Franziska Brandmann  | 6,779  | 3.3  |  3.4  | 9,629  | 4.6  |  6.0
| BSW |   | 5,525  | 2.7  |
| Volt | Maren Berkenheide  | 3,807  | 1.8  |  0.6  | 2,237  | 1.1  |  0.2
| PARTEI | Jurian Thomas  | 2,642  | 1.3  |  0.1  | 1,051  | 0.5  |  0.4
| Tierschutzpartei |   | 1,361  | 0.7  |  0.0
| FW |  | 408  |  |  0.5  | 408  | 0.2  |  0.2
| PdF |   | 303  | 0.1  |  0.1
| dieBasis |  |  |  |  0.8  | 207  | 0.1  |  0.6
| Team Todenhöfer |   | 160  | 0.1  |  0.3
| BD |   | 128  | 0.1  |
| MERA25 |   | 93  | 0.0  |
| Values |   | 59  | 0.0  |
| MLPD |   | 26  | 0.0  |  0.0
| ÖDP |  |  |  |  0.5  |  |  |  0.2
| Pirates |   |  |  |  0.2
| Humanists |   |  |  |  0.1
| Gesundheitsforschung |   |  |  |  0.1
| Bündnis C |   |  |  |  0.0
| SGP |   |  |  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 1,207  |  |  | 799  |  |
Total valid votes | 206,815  |  |  | 207,223  |  |
Turnout | 208,022  | 87.5  |  3.6  |
| Greens hold | Majority | 5,533  | 2.7  |  |

### 2021 election

[edit]

Federal election (2021): Münster[4]

Notes:  |

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Greens | Maria Klein-Schmeink | 63,160  | 32.3  |  19.6  | 60,036  | 30.7  |  16.1
| CDU | Stefan Nacke | 51,096  | 26.2  |  11.0  | 43,790  | 22.4  |  10.4
| SPD | Svenja Schulze | 47,047  | 24.1  |  4.8  | 45,844  | 23.5  |  2.6
| FDP | Klaus Kretzer  | 13,038  | 6.7  |  0.3  | 20,786  | 10.6  |  2.9
| AfD | Helmut Birke  | 5,234  | 2.7  |  1.8  | 5,603  | 2.9  |  2.1
| Left | Kira Sawilla  | 7,078  | 3.6  |  3.2  | 9,746  | 5.0  |  5.2
| Volt | Carina Beckmann  | 2,505  | 1.3  |  | 1,812  | 0.9  |
| PARTEI | Roland Scholle  | 2,283  | 1.2  |  0.3  | 1,684  | 0.9  |  0.2
| dieBasis | Peter Balint  | 1,582  | 0.8  |  | 1,409  | 0.7  |
| Tierschutzpartei |   | 1,326  | 0.7  |  0.3
| Team Todenhöfer |   | 774  | 0.4  |
| FW | Olaf Wirl  | 966  | 0.5  |  | 691  | 0.4  |  0.2
| Pirates |   | 479  | 0.2  |  0.1
| ÖDP | Alina Möller  | 897  | 0.5  |  0.1  | 422  | 0.2  |  0.1
| Independent | Sarah Geselbracht  | 207  | 0.1  |  |
| Humanists |   | 205  | 0.1  |  0.0
| V-Partei3 |   | 150  | 0.1  |  0.0
| LIEBE  |  | 138  | 0.1  |
| Gesundheitsforschung |   | 116  | 0.1  |  0.0
| du. |   | 93  | 0.0  |
| LfK  |  | 79  | 0.0  |
| DKP | Manfred Stolper  | 179  | 0.1  |  0.0  | 75  | 0.0  |  0.0
| PdF  |  | 52  | 0.0  |
| NPD |   | 45  | 0.0  |  0.0
| Bündnis C |   | 42  | 0.0  |
| LKR |   | 25  | 0.0  |
| Independent | Andrea Dumberger  | 23  | 0.0  |  |
| SGP |   | 22  | 0.0  |  0.0
| MLPD |   | 12  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 981  |  |  | 820  |  |
Total valid votes | 195,295  |  |  | 195,456  |  |
Turnout | 196,276  | 83.9  |  1.6  |
| Greens gain from CDU | Majority | 12,064  | 6.1  |  |

### 2017 election

[edit]

Federal election (2017): Münster[5]

Notes:  |

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| CDU | Y Sybille Benning | 70,606  | 37.2  |  1.6  | 62,276  | 32.8  |  5.1
| SPD | Robert von Olberg  | 54,778  | 28.9  |  6.6  | 39,714  | 20.9  |  6.3
| Greens | Maria Klein-Schmeink | 24,248  | 12.8  |  1.7  | 27,739  | 14.6  |  0.6
| FDP | Jörg Berens  | 13,219  | 7.0  |  1.2  | 25,684  | 13.5  |  6.7
| Left | Hubertus Zdebel | 13,024  | 6.9  |  2.6  | 19,287  | 10.1  |  3.9
| AfD | Martin Schiller  | 8,569  | 4.5  |  2.5  | 9,393  | 4.9  |  2.0
| PARTEI | Marie Völkering  | 2,722  | 1.4  |  | 1,935  | 1.0  |  0.6
| Tierschutzpartei |   | 781  | 0.4  |
| Pirates | Daniel Düngel  | 1,003  | 0.5  |  1.5  | 712  | 0.4  |  1.9
| ÖDP | Joachim Bruns  | 1,027  | 0.5  |  0.1  | 641  | 0.3  |  0.0
| DiB |  | 337  | 0.2  |
| FW |   | 246  | 0.1  |  0.0
| Independent | Carlos Abaga Ayingono  | 224  | 0.1  |  |
| V-Partei³ |  | 222  | 0.1  |
| BGE |   | 218  | 0.1  |
| DM  |  | 192  | 0.1  |
| Die Humanisten |  | 158  | 0.1  |
| Independent | Markus Overdiek  | 154  | 0.1  |  |
| AD-DEMOKRATEN  |  | 137  | 0.1  |
| NPD |   | 111  | 0.1  |  0.2
| Volksabstimmung  |  | 110  | 0.1  |  0.0
| Gesundheitsforschung |  | 95  | 0.0  |
| DKP | Manfred Stolper  | 173  | 0.1  |  | 66  | 0.0  |
| MLPD | Sebastian Zumdick  | 107  | 0.1  |  | 64  | 0.0  |  0.0
| SGP |  | 8  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 1,236  |  |  | 964  |  |
Total valid votes | 189,854  |  |  | 190,126  |  |
Turnout | 191,090  | 82.3  |  3.2  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 15,828  | 8.3  |  4.9  |

### 2013 election

[edit]

Federal election (2013): Münster[6]

Notes:  |

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| CDU | Sybille Benning | 69,352  | 38.8  |  0.4  | 67,626  | 37.8  |  4.1
| SPD | Christoph Strässer  | 63,296  | 35.4  |  2.8  | 48,579  | 27.2  |  3.4
| Greens | Maria Klein-Schmeink | 19,767  | 11.1  |  1.7  | 27,118  | 15.2  |  2.0
| FDP | Daniel Bahr  | 10,222  | 5.7  |  4.2  | 12,119  | 6.8  |  7.9
| Left | Hubertus Zdebel | 7,620  | 4.3  |  0.5  | 11,254  | 6.3  |  0.4
| AfD | Helmut Birke  | 3,651  | 2.0  |  | 5,236  | 2.9  |
| Pirates | Sasa Raber  | 3,582  | 2.0  |  | 4,037  | 2.3  |  0.1
| PARTEI |   | 673  | 0.4  |
| ÖDP | Sieglinde Kersting  | 752  | 0.4  |  | 595  | 0.3  |  0.1
| NPD |   | 490  | 0.3  |  0.1
| Independent | Harry Seemann  | 324  | 0.2  |  |
| Nichtwahler  |  | 218  | 0.1  |
| FW |   | 195  | 0.1  |
| PRO |  | 139  | 0.1  |
| Volksabstimmung  |  | 123  | 0.1  |  0.0
| Party of Reason |  | 113  | 0.1  |
| BIG  |  | 59  | 0.0  |
| REP |   | 54  | 0.0  |  0.1
| RRP  |  | 52  | 0.0  |  0.0
| MLPD |   | 51  | 0.0  |  0.0
| PSG |  | 27  | 0.0  |  0.0
| Die Rechte |  | 23  | 0.0  |
| BüSo |  | 21  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 1,527  |  |  | 1,291  |  |
Total valid votes | 178,566  |  |  | 178,802  |  |
Turnout | 180,093  | 79.1  |  1.4  |
| CDU hold | Majority | 6,056  | 3.4  |  3.3  |

### 2009 election

[edit]

Federal election (2009): Münster[7]

Notes:  |

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| CDU | Ruprecht Polenz | 63,819  | 39.3  |  2.1  | 54,902  | 33.7  |  1.8
| SPD | N Christoph Strässer  | 53,029  | 32.6  |  9.1  | 38,604  | 23.7  |  11.6
| Greens | Maria Klein-Schmeink | 20,822  | 12.8  |  4.4  | 27,985  | 17.2  |  3.8
| FDP | Daniel Bahr | 16,131  | 9.9  |  4.8  | 23,951  | 14.7  |  4.4
| Left | Hubertus Zdebel  | 7,805  | 4.8  |  2.2  | 10,970  | 6.7  |  2.7
| Pirates |   | 3,489  | 2.1  |
| NPD | Dennis Dormuth  | 718  | 0.4  |  0.0  | 574  | 0.4  |  0.0
| Tierschutzpartei |   | 567  | 0.3  |  0.1
| ÖDP |   | 417  | 0.3  |
| FAMILIE |  | 416  | 0.3  |  0.0
| RENTNER  |  | 294  | 0.2  |
| REP |   | 175  | 0.1  |  0.0
| RRP  |  | 107  | 0.1  |
| Volksabstimmung  |  | 89  | 0.1  |  0.0
| Centre |   | 78  | 0.0  |  0.0
| MLPD |   | 39  | 0.0  |  0.0
| DVU |   | 38  | 0.0  |
| PSG |  | 19  | 0.0  |  0.0
| BüSo |  | 17  | 0.0  |  0.0
Informal votes  | 1,362  |  |  | 1,190  |  |
Total valid votes | 162,559  |  |  | 162,731  |  |
Turnout | 163,921  | 77.7  |  5.3  |
| CDU gain from SPD | Majority | 10,790  | 6.7  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Constituency Münster". Federal Returning Officer.
2. ^ "Results for Münster". Federal Returning Officer.
3. ^ Results for Münster
4. ^ Results for Münster
5. ^ Results for Münster
6. ^ Results for Münster
7. ^ Results for Münster

* v
* t
* e

Electoral districts of North Rhine-Westphalia in the German Bundestag

Current|

* Aachen I
* Aachen II
* Heinsberg
* Düren
* Rhein-Erft-Kreis I
* Euskirchen – Rhein-Erft-Kreis II
* Cologne I
* Cologne II
* Cologne III
* Bonn
* Rhein-Sieg-Kreis I
* Rhein-Sieg-Kreis II
* Oberbergischer Kreis
* Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
* Leverkusen – Cologne IV
* Wuppertal I
* Solingen – Remscheid – Wuppertal II
* Mettmann I
* Mettmann II
* Düsseldorf I
* Düsseldorf II
* Neuss I
* Mönchengladbach
* Krefeld I – Neuss II
* Viersen
* Kleve
* Wesel I
* Krefeld II – Wesel II
* Duisburg I
* Duisburg II
* Oberhausen – Wesel III
* Mülheim – Essen I
* Essen II
* Essen III
* Recklinghausen I
* Recklinghausen II
* Gelsenkirchen
* Steinfurt I – Borken I
* Bottrop – Recklinghausen III
* Borken II
* Coesfeld – Steinfurt II
* Steinfurt III
* Münster
* Warendorf
* Gütersloh I
* Bielefeld – Gütersloh II
* Herford – Minden-Lübbecke II
* Minden-Lübbecke I
* Lippe I
* Höxter – Gütersloh III – Lippe II
* Paderborn
* Hagen – Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis I
* Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis II
* Bochum I
* Herne – Bochum II
* Dortmund I
* Dortmund II
* Unna I
* Hamm – Unna II
* Soest
* Hochsauerlandkreis
* Siegen-Wittgenstein
* Olpe – Märkischer Kreis I
* Märkischer Kreis II

Other states|

* Baden-Württemberg
* Bavaria‎
* Berlin
* Brandenburg‎
* Bremen
* Hamburg‎
* Hesse
* Lower Saxony
* Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
* Rhineland-Palatinate‎
* Saarland
* Saxony‎
* Saxony-Anhalt‎
* Schleswig-Holstein‎
* Thuringia‎

See also|

* List of Bundestag constituencies
* Elections in Germany

*[No.]: Constituency number
*[38]: North Rhine-Westphalia 38
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