Munster, Lower Saxony

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Munster (Örtze)
Town
Water mill in Munster
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Munster (Örtze) within Heidekreis district
Munster (Örtze) Show map of Germany Munster (Örtze) Show map of Lower Saxony
Coordinates: 52°59′19″N 10°05′28″E / 52.98861°N 10.09111°E / 52.98861; 10.09111
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Heidekreis
Government
• Mayor (2021–26)	Ulf-Marcus Grube[1] (CDU)
Area
• Total	193.42 km2 (74.68 sq mi)
Elevation	73 m (240 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	15,366
• Density	79/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	29633
Dialling codes	05192
Vehicle registration	HK, SFA
Website	www.munster.de/home.aspx

Munster (West Low German: Munste), also called Munster (Örtze) or formerly Munsterlager, is a small town in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany almost equidistant from Hamburg and Hanover. The town is home to the German Army's largest garrison and is situated between the two training areas of Munster North and Munster South. It is also the fourth largest garrison in the German Armed Forces. The German Chemical Defence Research Establishment (Wehrwissenschaftliches Institut für Schutztechnologien – ABC-Schutz [de]) and the Society for the disposal of chemical warfare agents and old armaments GmbH (Ltd.) (GEKA [de]) are located in Munster.

The town's make up is shaped by the soldiers and other government employees who make up the majority of its population, and the surrounding military zones restrict the town's growth, retaining its rural character.