Experts have long recommended drinking around two litres of water a day as a good way to enhance health and performance. This is why Draiflessen has always believed in providing employees with water, previously in glass bottles – both still and sparkling – as part of a sustainable reuse system. But with the introduction of our expanded sustainability concept, we have now switched to a professional water dispenser, which is located in the staff room. This provides employees with freshly filtered water directly from the central water supply: still, sparkling, chilled or at room temperature.

Every employee received an attractive drinking bottle, not only to create an attractive overall impression, but also to motivate them to drink water regularly. To avoid confusion, each employee selected a name to personalise the bottles.

The concept has been warmly received by the workforce and is therefore being rolled out gradually in the Events Division as well. A further step towards promoting sustainability and well-being in our working environment.

Trainees Jule and Elise from the Marienhof Guest House spent a week honing their practical skills in the professional kitchen with Chef de Cuisine Martin Laubrock in Draiflessen. As part of the work experience days, they completed a structured kitchen training programme, which included preparing recipes, calculating quantities and mise en place.

The trainees gained valuable insights and were able to develop their skills in planning and preparing dishes under the watchful eye of Martin Laubrock. Jule and Elise showed admirable commitment in completing their assigned tasks and successfully demonstrated their skills. The experience they gained will be integrated into their further training.

A warm welcome in the Guest House

Smart building control for improved sustainability and convenience

The current KNX building control system in the Guest House was expanded to include a home server built by GIRA, which enables end-to-end remote access to the control system. In this case, the main focus was on increased sustainability by saving thermal energy.

The new solution means that the temperature in each room can be lowered individually or from the control centre. A timer programme is also available to create convenient heating schedules in cases of planned occupancy. The temperature is reduced automatically to save energy if the Guest House or individual rooms are not occupied.
What’s more, there is also an app for the smooth control of functions such as lighting and switchable sockets. The next step will be to integrate the control unit with the current burglar alarm system. With this system, the building systems can be switched off from a central point when the alarm system is activated – for maximum efficiency and security.

A VPN connection also enables fast and flexible responses in the event of malfunctions. The entire implementation and programming was completed in-house and is yet another step forward in the sustainable optimisation of our infrastructure.

The Kitchen and Garden Team

Without them, neither our culinary delights nor the well-tended and blossoming garden would even be possible. This year, we are delighted to introduce the members of our Kitchen and Garden Team to our readers.

SANDRA MEIER

Sandra Meier, a trained restaurant manager, has been working as a kitchen and service specialist at Draiflessen since September 2023. With her commitment and enthusiasm, she keeps everything running smoothly at the interface between kitchen and service, even when things get hectic. Her extravagant and lovingly prepared bread snacks and cakes for the museum café are extremely popular.

She has felt completely at home in the team since day one. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with her family, immersing herself in a good book or switching off with a swim.

MARTIN LAUBROCK

Martin Laubrock has been working as Chef de Cuisine in the Mettingen kitchen for almost five years – half of the time in Draiflessen, the other half in Haus Potschoppen – transforming regional ingredients into dishes with passion and creativity. His job is more than just work for him – it is embedded in his DNA, as his friends confirm.

Despite having little time for hobbies, he uses every opportunity to go cycling, attend live concerts or explore exciting cities. He cares deeply about sustainability and seasonality – winter tomatoes would never be found in his kitchen and strawberries in January drive him up the wall. He prefers to work with the treasures of the Westphalian larder and looks forward to asparagus, berries and wild garlic every year.

Vegetarian and vegan dishes are absolute fixtures on his menus as well. And when he serves meat, it is consciously prepared, sourced from the best farms and afforded the respect that the product deserves. He simply feels at home at the hob!

BIRGIT HAARMEYER

Birgit Haarmeyer has been quietly but passionately looking after the Draiflessen gardens and Guest House since 2021. She also took charge of the outdoor warehouse area in 2024. With her green fingers and eye for detail, she is responsible for creating a well-tended and inviting ambience in our garden and pays particular attention to sustainable upkeep.

A Mettingen local, the 52-year-old likes to spend her free time out and about – travelling, hiking or cycling. But she also enjoys a good book to wind down and relax. Married and a mother of two adult children, she is adept at finding the right balance between family, career and her hobbies.

MARIE GILHAUS

Marie Gilhaus has worked as an assistant in Draiflessen since 2022. We are delighted that we managed to recruit Marie as a permanent part-time employee after she successfully completed her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Plant Biology in 2024. Marie lives in Recke and loves to spend her free time riding and dancing.

STEFAN ESSLAGE

Stefan Esslage has been part of the Draiflessen Garden Team since May 2021. Employed as a mini-job garden helper, he brings his experience and considerable commitment to maintaining our outdoor facilities. Before joining us, he worked as groundsman at VfL Mettingen for three and a half years. He has a professional background in mining – having worked underground as an electrician for 35 years.

The 57-year-old lives with his family near Draiflessen. In his spare time, he is a passionate football fan, loves travelling and enjoys relaxed fishing trips to Norway.

The current burglar alarm system had to be replaced due to its age and the consequent lack of spare parts. But we needed more space for the new burglar alarm control centre, so we created an additional room. Now it will be possible to install the new system in 2025 without having to decommission the active system, which will minimise downtime.

Our Technical Team was in charge of planning and building the new space in an adjoining storage room. This included dismantling heavy-duty racks and transporting bricks by hand. The current lights and smoke detectors were also dismantled and reinstalled elsewhere.
A specialist company from Ibbenbüren was commissioned with the brickwork in the new room in order to obtain the necessary declarations of conformity with regard to fire and burglary protection.

Our technicians joined forces to fill 600 sandbags to improve our preparedness for potential extreme weather events such as heavy rain as well as technical malfunctions, for example in the event of a burst pipe.

The sandbags were filled efficiently and conveniently thanks to the creative support of carpenter Benedikt Meier, who built funnels from used wooden boards. In another exercise, the team rehearsed how to transport the sandbags quickly and safely using a human chain. A small sandbag wall was also erected.

The exercise was organised by our technician Manuel
Papke, a volunteer with the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) for 25 years who has been deployed multiple times in flood areas.

After the successful exercise, the team brought the day to a pleasant conclusion with a well-earned barbecue.

Fresh designs were developed and professionally installed in close cooperation with the structural engineering office KKK to ensure the continued safety and functionality of the suspension points. The exhibition has 50 suspension points in total, each of which can hold a load of up to 500 kg.

A variety of additional tasks were requires as part of this measure, which were carried out by our Technical Team. The light ceiling panels were removed and cleaned, the plasterboard panelling on the steel beams was opened and the fitted inspection hatches in the ceiling bays were offset as far as possible. Dust was also thoroughly extracted from the ventilation ducts above the ceiling structures.

We expanded our sound engineering equipment for events with the purchase of a Yamaha stage box, which complements the
Yamaha DM3 mixing desk acquired in 2023. It acts as a “digital distribution box” for microphones and audio devices on stage and routes audio signals directly to the mixing desk via a single network cable.

This combination simplifies cabling, improves sound quality and saves time during installation. What’s more, it reduces sources of interference and raises our technical standards – an important step forward for future events.

A scheduled shutdown of the power supply for technical inspections led to an unforeseen incident in September. A three-way valve in the inerting system cooling circuit failed when the system was switched back on. Inerting is a preventive fire and explosion protection measure. It involves the introduction of inert gases into the protected room with the aim of reducing the oxygen concentration to a level that prevents explosions. This technology is important for the safe storage of artworks in the storerooms. The failure caused the system to overheat, allowing nitrogen to escape and triggering the fire alarm system.

Our Technical Team responded immediately and alerted the fire brigade, who were quick to arrive on site. The incident was analysed thoroughly and measures were introduced to continue optimising the safety systems.

Heavy-duty shelving was installed in the bowling alley – which was never completed – in order to make better use of the available space. Our Technical Team took charge of planning and assembly. This will enable the Events Division to store and access decorative materials, signs, frequently used small items of furniture etc. from a central location. At the same time, the previous lighting system was replaced with modern, energy-saving LED luminaires to increase energy efficiency and enable more sustainable use of the space.

The lighting in other areas was thoroughly modernised in 2024 as part of our sustainability measures.

Archives on the 2nd basement level: 

• Around 150 lights were modernised here
• Reduction in power per luminaire from 65 W to 35 W

Recessed lights in the foyer (ground floor):

• In total, 22 luminaires were replaced with energy-efficient models
• Reduction in power per luminaire from 60 W to 25 W

All new luminaires are equipped with a DALI system that enables individual activation and dimming of each luminaire. This permits flexible adjustment of the lighting mood at events according to their specific requirements. Our Technical Team took charge of planning, installation and programming.

The Events Division

Draiflessen Conference was again honoured in 2024 to organise a large number of fascinating events and meetings with guests from the Brenninkmeijer family, companies close to the family and external visitors. Not only did these encounters promote knowledge sharing, they also encouraged collaborative discourse. This section takes a look at some of the functions organised by the Events Division last year.

Draiflessen Conference was kept busy once again last year: there were 148 events held on 163 days, during which we were pleased to welcome 4,959 guests. The large number of guests is indicative of a successful and varied year of events.

Draiflessen and especially the Events Team are delighted to welcome their newest member Ines Patte. The qualified hotel manager has been using her wealth of experience to actively support event management since February 2024. Ines Patte has lived in Mettingen for a long time and can draw on extensive local knowledge and networks. She is also experienced in social media, an area she intends to build on.

Internal

The B. family’s major business conference was held in Draiflessen in January and June. The close cooperation with the Mettingen guest houses, Cofra and our service providers demonstrated once again the value of experienced collaboration with a highly coordinated team of colleagues.

The FHR events for the younger generation of the B. family were particularly impressive: the entire function was held in a darkened hall with changing set-ups. Combined with an individually programmed light show, this created a very special experience. Another resounding success was the SLB event, which used the hall for an inspirational weekend of workshops – including breakouts and coaching sessions in the villa rooms. The Jongeren Weekend took place at our premises in August.

Another special highlight was the Porticus Symposium, at which the Niels Stensen Fellowship Conference was held for the first time in Draiflessen and created a new format for conference organisation.

The events in the “Family in Motion” series were a resounding success once more: blessed with a summery breeze, the around 100 attendees of the Dance and Sports Week felt entirely at home during two gospel services and enjoyed lingering on the beautiful terrace and by the Madonna pool once the official part was over. Relaxed lunches and guided tours of the exhibitions added the finishing touches to the programme. The Senior Citizens’ Week also returned to Draiflessen with 25 guests, where they enjoyed a visit to the exhibition followed by coffee & cakes. Around 45 participants of the Family Sports Week attended a reception at the villa in summery temperatures and then visited

Members of the Forever Young Group were served a delicious lunch after a refreshing tour of the forest in autumn. With an informative talk about Draiflessen and a guided tour of the exhibitions, the Group enjoyed an equally successful day in Draiflessen.

There was a particularly challenging week at the beginning of June that involved catering to around 350 guests at 10 events in just 6 days. But all of these functions proceeded without a hitch thanks to the highly coordinated event team – a major success!

Four events were organised for the museum as well: preview & opening of the “Räume hautnah” (Close Spaces) exhibition with 117 guests and preview & opening of the “Sprache, Text, Bild” (Language, Text, Image) exhibition with 141 visitors.

External

Draiflessen Conference was also pleased to host a varied programme of events for external guests last year. With the “Der Geschenkte Tag” project (The Gifted Day), the district of Steinfurt invited around 140 citizen volunteers to thank them for their commitment – with catering from Draiflessen by Chef de Cuisine Martin Laubrock and his team and a musical performance in cooperation with the “Neue Sterne für das Münsterland” (New Stars for Münsterland) project at Münster University of Music.

Conferences were also held for a wide range of regional companies, such as the Mettingen Ophthalmologists and Coppenrath & Wiese. The option to include in these events a visit to the museum is warmly received.

Management invited the families of employees to attend the Draiflessen Family Day for the first time in August. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful stage programme in the garden and a tour of Draiflessen.

MEETMUSIC CONCERTS

A matter of the heart

The concerts in Draiflessen have developed into genuine heartfelt events. The loyal fan base ensures that the music and ambience speak for themselves – usually without much advertising. Featuring a varied programme ranging from rousing jazz and soulful singer-songwriter tunes to classical music and family concerts, meetMUSIC ensures a multi-faceted experience for all music enthusiasts. This diversity has long been part of the programme and transforms every performance into a special moment for the audience, artists and team.

MARCH

Pianist Johanna Summer
Fascinatingly playful and spontaneous recital

meetMUSIC opened the 2024 concert year with “Resonances” by jazz pianist Johanna Summer. With her eye-catching and skilful improvisation, she created a fluent blend of classical music and jazz – with the emphasis decided entirely in the moment. And the enraptured audience experienced the event in the Draiflessen foyer, which is increasingly building a reputation as a venue for jazz concerts, thanks not least to the harmonious lighting effects. Johanna Summer impressed the audience with her lively style, spontaneous expressiveness and infectious enthusiasm as the firm foundation for her improvised musical experiences. Her perambulations through music created a harmonious whole – and earned rapturous applause.

April

Easter concert
The Twiolins | Eight Seasons

Siblings Marie-Luise and Christoph Dingler took the audience on a fascinating trip through two centuries and hemispheres in St Agatha’s Parish Church – Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” juxtaposed with eleven tangos by Astor Piazzolla. Christoph Dingler explained how he creatively reinterpreted the works for two violins or for violin and viola and in doing so – with a humorous wink – fashioned the new “Eight Seasons”. The duo delighted the audience with their technical virtuosity, dynamic phrasing and varied sound effects such as pizzicato and spiccato. The crowning glory was a newly arranged Beethoven duet (“Für Elise”). The proceeds of around €4,100 were donated in equal parts to Palliativnetz Tecklenburger Land e.V. and Hospizhaus Tecklenburger Land gGmbH.

JUNE

CHRISTOPH SPERING | BACH-KANTATS

With the motto “Bach die Ehre geben” (Giving Bach the Honour), Christoph Spering has been bringing a breath of fresh air to
early music for over 30 years. Performing with his Chorus Musicus Köln and Das Neue Orchester – awarded an ECHO Klassik for the Luther cantatas in 2017 – he presented selected works from Bach’s choral cantatas from 1724/25 in the St Agatha’s Parish Church in Mettingen. Triumphant opening choruses, Italian-inspired arias and simple final chorales merged into an enlivening overall experience. A modern musician who adheres to historically true recital practice and authentic instruments, Spering lent old masterpieces new and surprising tonal colours in a successful blend of tradition and innovation.

Strong texts & deep emotions
Florian Künstler

Florian Künstler from Lübeck is not just a singer, but also a genuine storyteller. He touched the audience in Draiflessen with his warm pop songs and honest lyrics. His music speaks of closeness, trust and the desire to be there for others. Florian Künstler created intimate moments with a mixture of profound lyrics, his charismatic stage presence and a powerful voice. The audience didn’t just hear the German poet’s music, they felt it. The concert in Mettingen was a première for Florian Künstler – the first seated concert. But the 400 concert-goers aged between 8 and 88 were not kept in their seats for long.

JUlY

Summerwinds Münsterland
Shimmer Trio

This year again, meetMUSIC was proud to be part of summerwinds Münsterland and to set the stage for the Schimmer Trio. The award-winning harpist Evelyn Huber, violinist Gustavo Strauss and clarinettist Jakob Lakner whisked the audience away on a musical journey between tango, jazz and klezmer – brimming with emotion, improvisation and virtuosity. With a minimalist groove and enthralling intensity, the trio lent a new shine to familiar melodies.
Their performance was a confluence of passionate sounds that sometimes flowed gently and then danced in lively whirls – a special experience, which the guests rewarded with a standing ovation.

AUGUST

meetMUSIC open air with the motto
“Unter funkelnden Sternen” (Beneath Twinkling Stars)

The festival was held for the fourth time in August in Draiflessen Park. Over the course of the three-day event, presenter Malte Arkona again showcased her skilfully humorous style to guide the audience through the programme entitled “Unter funkelnden Sternen”.

Jazz beneath the stars | Ella Burkhardt & Band

The meetMUSIC Open Air began for the first time on a Thursday and was very well received. Aged just 22 and with the name of a jazz icon, singer Ella Burkhardt is successfully carving her own niche. She and her band wowed the audience at the opening of the meetMUSIC Open Air 2024. Ella Burkhardt (vocals/guitar), Timo Bakker (piano/organ), Gael Clément (drums) and Kjell Kitzing (guitar) presented their own compositions and reinterpreted classics by Joni Mitchell, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix with impressive ease. Particularly moving: Sting’s “Fragile” in a gentle bossa version. The energetic finale with “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix left no-one in any doubt: the artist on stage is definitely one to watch!

Joolaee Trio | Culinary concert from Persia to Bach

Friday evening is traditionally a culinary-musical evening – in this case with a nod to Persian cuisine.

“When I play the kamancheh, it feels like a friend is talking to me”, announced Misagh Joolaee, the trio’s founder, at the sold-out culinary concert. The international trio – established in 2021 – mixed original compositions and arrangements of Persian and Turkish folk songs to
create an extraordinary sound experience. Featuring a European piano, the Iranian kamancheh and percussion instruments from the Middle East, Africa and Peru, the musicians effortlessly merged East and West to create their very own musical language. Often one of them would provide the main theme, while the others spontaneously joined in on their instruments – an interplay that impressively lent voice to the struggle for Iranian women’s rights in the song “Be Hitsch Diar”. The driving rhythm, the “talking” piano and the “weeping” kamancheh spoke of protest and hope. The weather added its own sense of excitement. The Persian starters and the main course were spontaneously served in the foyer of Draiflessen Conference – and the warming cardamom tea with baklava was then taken in the garden at the end of the concert.

Mozart in the afternoon
Noa Wildschut with Takehiro Konoe
& Anton Spronk

The international trio – consisting of the violin princess Noa Wildschut, the virtuoso Anton Spronk on cello and violist Takehiro Konoe – thrilled the audience on a sunny Saturday afternoon. With compositions by Mozart, Johann S. Bach and Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen, the young, multiple award-winning artists showcased classical masterpieces at the highest level. Noa Wildschut – just 23 and already a luminary of the music scene – gave a clear demonstration of why she is considered a “musical hope” with her effervescent and empathetic recital. Anton Spronk, solo cellist and multi-award-winning artist, impressed the audience with his masterful technique. Takehiro Konoe, winner of numerous competitions and award-winning violist, was the ideal final member of the trio and set new standards. An afternoon full of musical finesse and dedication that made the audience forget the time.

Gypsy Jazz, chanson & global music
Marion & Sobo Band

Just the ticket for a Saturday evening: the Marion & Sobo Band with their unique style of vocal gypsy jazz, global music and chansons – a modern mix that transcends borders. The quintet is led by singer Marion Lenfant-Preus and the guitarist Alexander Sobocinski (Sobo), who are both clearly shaped by their multicultural heritage. With original compositions and homages to the musical roots of Western and Eastern Europe, they presented their charismatic sound in six languages. Without drums, they used energetic guitars to create rousing, rhythmic music that repeatedly surprised the audience and brought them to their feet. A wonderful summer evening full of good humour.

Young talents
The stage is set for the winners of the
national youth music competition “Jugend musiziert”

As always, the very young, up-and-coming musicians captivated the audience as winners of the meetMUSIC sponsorship award. Romy Luba Resatsch opened with her powerful electric bass on Thursday evening, while Elisa Leinenbach (mandolin, accompanied by Josephine Rupp on guitar, enchanted the guests on Saturday afternoon with her delicate but explosive musical touch. Zacharias (Zach) Quick was the high point of Saturday night, delighting the audience with his clear, captivating voice and extraordinary stage presence in the musical set. These young artists definitely caught the eye with their passion, skill and charisma – a wonderful success! And again they underscored meetMUSIC’s intention to throw the meetMUSIC stage open to very young talents.

DECEMBER

Juri Tetzlaff | Peter and the Wolf

Draiflessen echoed with a completely different sound – laughing, shouting children’s voices, as KiKA presenter Juri Tetzlaff brought “Peter and the Wolf” to the stage with his captivating charm and lively narration. From the very first moment, he enthralled the 136 or so children and over 160 adults, allowing them to feel the forest with all their senses and also making it “resound”. The instruments of the ProFive wind quintet with flute, oboe, bassoon, horn and clarinet breathed life into the fairy-tale characters, while Tetzlaff actively drew in the audience with his humorous mimicry. Prokofiev’s classic came to life between laughter, listening and joining in – an evening full of magic, fun and interactive experiences for the whole family. And it all wrapped up with a surprising twist when St Nicholas showed up bringing small gifts for the children.

Christmas music show
David, Ben & Finn

Draiflessen transformed into a stage full of music and humour on the second Advent Sunday. Pianist and entertainer David Harrington made around 270 guests laugh and sing along, backed up by the talented brothers Ben and Finn Wroblewski (trombone and drums). They created a special atmosphere with a mix of their own compositions and classics from musicals, pop and swing. But the music wasn’t the only inspirational aspect – humorous and culturally critical anecdotes and the relaxed atmosphere made for plenty of laughter and a tangible connection between the performers on stage and the audience. The concept worked: the audience sang and clapped along enthusiastically!

meetMUSIC “Hall of Fame”

Technician Benedikt Meyer showed his creative side: he made matching wooden frames for posters so that there is now a small meetMUSIC “Hall of Fame”. It is nice to preserve the memories of past concerts.

Keeping pace with the times

Further education courses and trade fairs are important tools for keeping up with the times. Employees attend meaningful courses to expand their knowledge or learn about new developments and technologies to equip them to complete their work in Draiflessen with even more professionalism. Trade fairs provide the ideal setting to learn more about the latest trends and innovations and to find inspiration for work projects. Regular dialogue with experts and colleagues nurtures development as well and is useful when making forward-looking decisions.

Accordingly, our readers will find an overview of further education courses and trade fair visits in 2024 here:

JANUARY

Nordstil Trade Fair in Hamburg, Caroline Hertel and Isabella van Hamme

March

Further education to become a qualified electrician, Manuel Papke
and Philip Tospann INTERNORGA Trade Fair 2024, Lisa Tüchter and Isabella van Hamme

APRIL

Certificate course in event management including SAP content with attorney Thomas Rüsche LL.M., Thomas Alkemeier, Verena Alkemeier, Niklas Berger, Stefan Bohle, Johannes Büscher, Isabella van Hamme, Caroline Hertel, Benedikt Meyer, Manuel Papke, Ines Patte, Martin Plake, Uwe Reth, Matthias Schmiemann, Philip Tospann, Lisa Tüchter

MAY

Training course to obtain authorisation for medium and high voltage switching operations, Manuel Papke and Philip Tospann

August – November

Chamber of Industry and Commerce further training in social media, Ines Patte
December: Seminar by the Technicians Working Group in the EVVC – European Association of Event Centres e. V

Vught language courses

Isabella van Hamme | English
Verena Alkemeier | English
Niklas Berger | Dutch
Lisa Tüchter | English
Kirsten Meyer | Dutch

Team excursion +
Christmas party

A very successful two-day team excursion to Flensburg was organised in May.

In December – following the COVID 19 hiatus – we revived the wonderful tradition of having our Christmas party in Draiflessen organised by a team from Conference and Collection. Lisa Tüchter, Julian Heitkamp, Philip Tospann and Maria Spitzer lovingly staged the evening: After an atmospheric aperitif in the foyer and warm words of welcome from Mr Martin Rudolf and the management, everyone joined in for some Christmas carols to get into the mood for the evening. The festively decorated hall with beautifully set tables, a seating arrangement drawn in advance, delicious food and drinks followed by lively music from a DJ ensured that everyone felt entirely at ease. The bottom line, as always: celebrating together in Draiflessen is nothing short of wonderful!

10 years Draiflessen

We would like to congratulate our jubilarians Markus Finke and Rainer Knüppe. Since 14 October 2014, they have enriched the technical team in Draiflessen as mini-jobbers – unfailingly reliable, skilful and always on hand when needed. Whether as helping hands or dependable drivers, they have been our faithful handymen for 10 years now.

About us

The team