Altenberg Cathedral

The Cistercians began this in 1259 in a wooded valley of the Bergisches Land, and it is called a cathedral only by custom; it was never a bishop's seat. Cistercian rules restricted decoration, so the interior is very plain, with the effect coming from proportion and light rather than ornament. The west window, about a hundred and forty square metres of grisaille glass in mostly grey and white, is among the largest medieval windows in Germany. The abbey was suppressed in 1803, damaged by fire, and restored from 1834. Since 1857 it has been used by Catholic and Protestant congregations together under a royal decree, an arrangement that has held ever since.

History

The Counts of Berg had their castle here, Altenberg, the "old mount", which gave its name to the Bergisches Land; in 1133 they moved to Burg Castle and gave Altenberg to Cistercians from Morimond, whose first church was consecrated in 1160. In 1259 Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden of Cologne laid the foundations of the larger Gothic church, which was the burial place of the counts and dukes of Berg until 1511. The monastery was dissolved in 1803, its buildings used for a chemical works and mostly gutted by fire in 1815, and in 1833 Count Fürstenberg von Stammheim bought the ruins and gave them to the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who supported the rebuilding and decided that the church should serve Catholics and Protestants together (Wikipedia, Altenberger Dom).

What to look for

• The plain interior - a Gothic church stripped of ornament by Cistercian rule.
• The west window - about 140 square metres of medieval grisaille glass.
• The shared use - Catholic and Protestant congregations since 1857.
• The valley setting - a church alone in wooded ground with few other buildings.

When to go

Year-round; the church closes during services for either congregation. Organ recitals run through summer. The valley is a walking area from Cologne.

Practical notes

It is one building with little around it beyond a cafe and car park. Services interrupt visits. The plainness disappoints those expecting decoration.

Nearby

Cologne lies southwest; Schloss Burg is north.

Key facts