Features
An Excursion to Bergischer Dom
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An Excursion to Bergischer Dom
Bergischer Dom (Altenberger Dom), about 11 miles northeast of Cologne, is set on the Dhünn river in the woods of the hilly
country called Bergisches Land. The original church of this former Cistercian monastery was built using stone from the manor
of the Count of Berg, who left it to the monks after moving his headquarters else-where in 1133. It took a little more than
100 years to finish building the present monastery, which was begun in 1259 - only seven years after work had started on the
cathedral in Cologne (which took more than six centuries to complete).
The end result is one of Germany's best examples of 13th-century Gothic style: no elaborate embellishments and no tower, but
a marvelous sense of space and light, enhanced by the simple, silvery stained-glass windows in the chancel. The west window
representing Holy Jerusalem (Das Himmlische Jerusalem) is the biggest stained-glass window in the country. There are tombs
of the past counts of Berg in the north transept.
During the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the church fell into disuse and was in danger of crumbling.
Luckily, King Frederick William IV took an interest in its restoration, and it was opened again to worshipers on the condition
- laid down by the king - that both Catholics and Protestants could attend. This holds true today, and on Sundays both Catholic
and Protestant congregations from the city come here for services. The outbuildings now house restaurants; at any of these
Küchenhof, you can ask for the key to the oldest standing part of the monastery, the 13th-century chapel Markuskapelle. One
of the most exquisite features of the whole complex is the choir surrounded by chapels, viewed most rewardingly from the slope
east of the monastery.
Info:
It takes an hour to reach Bergischer Dom from Cologne's center: the underground trams (U-Bahn lines 4, 15, 16, 18, 19) take
you to Wiener Platz for a connection with bus 434. Guided excursions from Cologne can be arranged by the Cologne tourist
information office (Köln Tourismus - see Essential Information). Free guided tours are given Sat. at 11 a.m., Sun. and holidays
at 1 and 3:30 p.m.; www.altenbergerdom.de
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