Altenberg Cathedral

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The Altenberg Cathedral
The west facade,
on the right the Altenberger Dom-Laden
Buttress at the crossing
Layout
Look at the choir
East view

The Altenberg Cathedral (also called Bergischer Dom ) is the former monastery church with the patronage of St. Mary's Assumption of the Altenberg Abbey, which was built by the Cistercians in 1133 . Until 1511, the church was also the burial place of the Counts and Dukes of Berg and the Dukes of Jülich-Berg .

"Altenberger Dom" has always been the common name for the monastery church, although the word "Dom" in this case does not refer to the cathedral church of a diocese , which never existed in Altenberg. Altenberg Cathedral is owned by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and has been used simultaneously as a parish church by the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities since 1857 .

location

The listed Altenberg Cathedral is located a good 20 km (driving distance) northeast of Cologne on the western edge of the Bergisches Land in the Altenberg district of the Odenthal municipality in the Rheinisch-Bergischen district .

Structure and building history

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The cathedral as the church of the Cistercian abbey

The Altenberg Cathedral was built as a monastery church from 1255 on the site of a Romanesque predecessor building consecrated around 1160. The Cistercians had already come to Altenberg in 1133 and had started building an abbey. Towards the end of the 12th century the abbey had 107 priests and 138 lay brothers, so the construction of a large church was considered. Count Adolf IV von Berg laid the foundation stone for the "Bergisches Dom" on March 3, 1259 in the presence of the Archbishop of Cologne, Konrad von Hochstaden . Measured at the start of construction, it is roughly as old as Cologne Cathedral . The choir was consecrated in 1287 , on July 3, 1379, on behalf of the Archbishop of Cologne, the total consecration followed by Bishop Wikbold Dobilstein von Kulm, who is buried in the cathedral's high choir. The large west window was inserted around 1400.

The Cistercian order emerged through reforms from the Benedictine order . In contrast to other orders, he preferred remote valley locations for the construction of the monasteries . In terms of architecture, he initially followed a strict rule of the order - the "ideal plan" - the principles of which can also be seen in Altenberg in part. The buildings had to be of ascetic simplicity and were not allowed to have church towers, but only roof turrets. There was no monumental westwork . In the beginning, closed choirs and chapels were required, but from around 1150 the ambulatory choir with a chapel wreath was the norm, and this was also implemented here. Statues, colored figure windows and other elaborate decorations were also prohibited. These initially strict rules have been weakened over time.

The Altenberg Cathedral is built in the Gothic style and consists of Drachenfels trachyte . It is a three-aisled basilica with an ambulatory and seven choir chapels. Here, Cistercian barreness has been combined with northern French forms. Following the building regulations of the Cistercian order, there is only one roof turret and no towers. Figurative representations and colored glazing were missing in the early years.

The interior exudes a strict Gothic form. The same strict, clear, linear structure also applies to the elevation of the central nave.

The oldest windows in the church are located in the ambulatory area. From here to the west window, they come from ever younger eras. The time of their creation is reflected in the design of the windows: the oldest, still without any pictorial representation, are plain and pale; the younger ones are getting richer in ornaments and stronger in the color scheme. In the west window from 1400, which is one of the most beautiful of the German Gothic, you can finally find concrete, pictorial representations that document the departure from the original Cistercian customs.

Stained glass through the ages:

  • around 1270: grisaille window in the ambulatory

  • dto., detail

  • before 1300: grisaille window of the north transept

  • dto., detail

  • around 1400: stained glass window on the west facade

  • dto., detail

With many details in the church it can be seen that the color prohibition was not followed too strictly even before the west window was built. The fighting zone of many columns is intensely red. In numerous capitals , the sensual pleasure plays a certain role, not only in the color, but also in the theme depicted. a. represents a grapevine in a fully ripe state. In addition, around ten botanically identifiable plant patterns can be distinguished, to which there are also decoratively modified plant decorations on capitals and keystones. They reflect the scientific reflection that began with scholasticism, as found in the work of Albertus Magnus. Stylistically related to the vegetable ornaments in Cologne Cathedral, they nevertheless have their own note. Individual sculptures even surpass those in the Cologne Cathedral in their naturalness.

Altenberg Monastery (copper engraving by Johann Jakob Sartor, 1707)

From secularization to today

In the course of secularization (1803) the abbey was dissolved and the inventory was first auctioned off (1804). In 1806 the interim owner, the Bavarian King Maximilian Joseph , sold the church and the monastery complex to the Cologne wine merchant Johann Heinrich Pelpissen for 26,415 Reichstaler. The late Gothic eagle lectern from 1449 was moved to the Maxkirche in Düsseldorf. The chemists Johann Gottfried Wöllner and Friedrich Mannes leased the site and set up a chemical factory there to produce Berlin blue . After an explosion in the area of ​​the chapter house of the abbey on the night of November 6th to 7th, 1815, a fire broke out that largely destroyed the monastery buildings, spread to the roof of the abbey church and destroyed the wooden roof structure. The monastery building and church deteriorated more and more. Despite the emergency roof, there were several partial collapses between 1821 and 1835; In 1830, considerable parts of the south transept, the crossing and the adjacent choir sections collapsed. In the following years the owners changed several times. The facility was eventually used partially as a quarry.

Altenberg Cathedral (etching by Eduard Gerhardt, 1834)

In 1834 Franz Egon von Fürstenberg-Stammheim acquired the monastery church and had the first, albeit inadequate, security measures carried out. During this time, the Prussian state official and philologist Werner von Haxthausen successfully campaigned for its preservation . After a donation of the church ruins to the Prussian state, Friedrich Wilhelm III supported. mainly the restoration of the abbey church (over 70% of the construction costs of approx. 100,000 thalers) with the condition (which was laid down in a cabinet order of Friedrich Wilhelm IV. of September 15, 1856) that it be used as a simultaneous church in the future . A spatial separation into a Protestant and Catholic part within the church was initially planned, but was strictly rejected by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The first Protestant service then took place on August 13, 1857.

Further restoration phases followed from 1894 to 1912 and in the 1960s. At that time, underfloor heating was installed, but it soon stopped working. In the 1890s, twenty of the grisaille windows were restored and supplemented by the Cologne-Lindenthal glass painting company Schneider and Schmolz .

Scaffolding at Altenberg Cathedral in January 2005

In 1987 a building inspection revealed the need for a comprehensive renovation, and two years later photogrammetric measurements began.

In 1994 the state of North Rhine-Westphalia started extensive renovation work. In the course of the renovation, larger defects emerged than initially assumed, so that the work on the building was not finished as planned in 2003, but could only be completed in summer 2005 with the reinstallation of the renovated west window. The total cost of the renovation was around 21 million euros. The Klais organ, which had suffered considerably from the dust exposure during the renovation work, was then subjected to a general overhaul. The instrument was largely dismantled and, after many parts had been refurbished and replaced, it was repaired by the end of 2005.

The centuries have severely damaged the structure, among other things due to the ingress of water. The entire water drainage in the roof area had to be renewed; the old gargoyles lost their function as a result, but were retained as a design element. The pressure of the roof on the masonry could no longer be absorbed by the external struts alone. The walls had already leaned precariously outwards; the roof threatened to collapse in the foreseeable future. For this reason, pull bars had to be installed to stabilize the walls in the upper part and to relieve the outer struts.

On August 25, 2006, the restoration work was officially completed with an ecumenical festival service and a ceremony in the presence of Jürgen Rüttgers , Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Joachim Cardinal Meisner , Archbishop of Cologne, and Nikolaus Schneider , President of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland.

In Altenberg, the medieval church is not only preserved, but in the former convent immunity , the 1230 built Markuskapelle at the Dhünn and parts of the former convent building just south of the cathedral, then, about the same position in which they were originally built. Today they are used by the Archdiocese of Cologne as a youth education center Haus Altenberg . A thorough renovation that began in spring 2013 serves the purpose of making the original building structure of the abbey more recognizable. In the course of the renovation, extensive archaeological excavations will be carried out by an excavation company and building research projects will be carried out on the abbey grounds. Two years are estimated for the work. The northern section of the enclosure wall of the monastery district has been restored.

Interior, equipment

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

  • Coronation altar of the Virgin Mary (2nd half of the 15th century)

  • Radiant wreath Madonna (around 1530)

  • Choir stalls

  • Christ on the Cross (15th century)

    Crucifix in the high choir

  • Choir, Madonna and Sacrament House

    Choir with sacrament house

The Coronation Altar has only been in the church since 1912. It was created at the end of the Middle Ages in the Lübeck area and shows the coronation of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Trinity . The current condition is the result of the restoration from 1994 to 1998.

The choir stalls are a replica of the stalls from the first half of the 14th century. The original probably had more than 100 seats and was richly decorated with figures and foliage. The few original parts preserved after secularization are now in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin.

The sculpture of the crucified in the crown of the high choir dates back to the Middle Ages (second half of the 15th century) . The colored version of the cautiously suffering Christ was revised several times, and around 1800 the cross beam, which is painted with tendrils, was renewed.

In about the same time (1490) the stonemason Walter von Schlebusch completed the sacrament house , which Abbot Arnold von Monnikendam commissioned. Flute stone , a phonolite lava from the Eifel region, was used as the material . The sacrament house was originally painted in color. Small figures of the apostles can be found at the height of the lattice doors. On top of the crowning finial a pelican even tearing her breast to nourish its young with its blood, a reference to the Eucharist emblazoned.

Altenberger Madonna

Detail of the Radiant Madonna
Madonna detail

In the crossing above the celebration altar hangs freely the "Altenberger Madonna", a Madonna in a halo , which dates from 1530. It is carved on both sides. It was probably created in the southern Netherlands . The client was Abbot Andreas Boelgen. In the 20th century, sculpture gained special importance when the youth chaplain Ludwig Wolker declared the Madonna von Altenberg “Queen of the League”, the Catholic Association of Young Men ; The Altenberg house next to the cathedral was the center of Catholic youth work in Germany from the 1920s.

West window

The west window

The west window of Altenberg Cathedral, designed around 1390 and probably completed before 1400, is the largest Gothic leaded glass window north of the Alps. It represents the heavenly Jerusalem . The donors of the window, the first Bergisch duke couple Anna von der Pfalz and Wilhelm II. Von Berg , are represented as kneeling figures in the central group of the glass painting. The drafts for the west window come from an anonymous painter who, after one of his works, is described as the master of the Berswordt retable and who was probably active in Cologne from 1385 to shortly before 1400. The current order of the panes is based on the expansion shortly after 1821 and was made after the third restoration from 1894 to 1898; the last restoration of the west window was carried out from 1994 to May 2005 in the workshop of Glasmalerei Peters GmbH in Paderborn . As part of very extensive renovation work on the cathedral, protective glazing was also installed; The colored window was hung in front of this protective glazing at a distance of a few centimeters to protect it from the effects of the weather in the future. Additional struts, so-called tap wrenches, were also installed, which required a lateral drilling of the wall. However, the entire west window could not be restored because work had been carried out in the 1960s that could not be easily undone.

Relics

The Altenberg Cathedral had an important reliquary treasure , most of which was lost in the course of secularization at the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. This included head relics of the two Roman martyrs John and Paul , which Abbot Hermann von Hochheim acquired in 1344 from a “good, God-fearing traveler” and which were repeatedly placed in reliquaries . In 1543 Duke Wilhelm IV confiscated them temporarily to finance a war. At the time of Abbot Franz Cramer (1779–1796), numerous objects of value from the Altenberg monastery had to be monetized to finance his luxurious lifestyle and because of war contributions; at that time the trace of the relics was lost.

The two relics were found in a box in the sacristy of the Church of St. Pankratius in Odenthal in 2012 during a clean-up and returned to the on June 1, 2014 during a high mass celebrated by Cardinal Joachim Meisner in a new double reliquary created by the artist Heinz Mack Altenberg Cathedral transferred. Out of consideration for the needs of the Protestant church, which also uses the cathedral, the modern double reliquary was not permanently installed in the cathedral, but is kept in the sacristy and only shown on special occasions.

Duke choir

In the duke's choir hangs a death shield from 1511, which was restored in 2001 and taken over by members of the St. Hubertus Order .

Church music

The organ

Church music in Altenberg Cathedral is extremely popular in the region. From May to October there are regular spiritual music and vespers on Sundays, at 11:45 a.m. (catholic) and at 2:30 p.m. (ev.). In addition, there is a wide-ranging concert program, which the two parishes will provide information about separately.

organ

The important organ , which replaces an instrument from 1930, dates back to 1980. It was built by the Klais company in Bonn and assembled under the direction of Günther Schumacher. The instrument consists of a total of 6300 pipes, the smallest 7 mm and the largest 12 m. It weighs about 30 tons.

After the renovation of the cathedral, the organ was fundamentally reorganized and re-voiced in December 2005; the reorganization included the construction of some registers . From May 2007 the last expansion phase of the cathedral organ took place with the installation of the pedal register Donner 64 ′, Contraposaune 32 ′, Quinque Decimus 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′, trumpet 8 ′ and the high pressure register Tuba mirabilis 16 ′ + 8 ′. The tubes are housed in a separate swell box and have a wind pressure of 500  mm water column . Since the renovation, the Altenberg cathedral organ has been one of the most powerful sounding organs in Germany.

Today the organ has 88 registers on four manuals and a pedal . Special features are the Spanish trumpet work and the tube work. The game actions are mechanical or electrical (two gaming tables ), the stop actions are electric. The disposition is as follows:

I Rückpositiv C – a 3
Praestant 8th'
Voce umana 8th'
Wooden dacked 8th'
Quintadena 8th'
Principal 4 ′
Tube bare 4 ′
Octave 2 ′
Capstan flute 2 ′
Fifth 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Sesquialter II 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Scharff V 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Cymbel III 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Dulcian 16 ′
Cromorne 8th'
Tremulant
II main work C – a 3
Praestant 16 ′
Drone 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Gemshorn 8th'
Fifth 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Octave 4 ′
Open flute 4 ′
third 3 1 ⁄ 5  ′
Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Super octave 2 ′
Cornet V 8th'
Mixtura maj. V 2 ′
Mixtura min. IV 1 ⁄ 3 ′
bassoon 16 ′
Trumpet 8th'
Trumpet 4 ′
III Swell C – a 3
viola 16 ′
Violin principal 8th'
Flûte harm. 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Vox coelestis 8th'
Wide octave 4 ′
Flûte octav. 4 ′
Salicet 4 ′
Octavine 2 ′
Dolkan 2 ′
Harmonia aeth. IV 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Fittings VI 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Bombard 16 ′
Trumpet harm. 8th'
Hautbois 8th'
Clairon harmon. 4 ′
Tremulant
IV breastwork C – a 3
Pointed Gamba 8th'
Reed flute 8th'
Transverse flute 8th'
Wooden principal 4 ′
recorder 4 ′
Nasard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Principal 2 ′
third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Larigot 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Sifflet 1'
Seventh 4 ⁄ 7 ′
Acuta IV 1'
Vox humana 8th'
Tremulant
Trumpeteria C – a 3
Clarin brilliant bass 2 ′
Trompeta magna treble 16 ′
Trompeta de batalla bass 8th'
Trompeta de batalla treble 8th'
Bayoncillo bass 4 ′
Bajoncillo treble 4 ′
Orlos bass 8th'
Orlos treble 8th'

Tube plant C – a 3
tuba 16 ′ n
tuba 8th' n
Pedal C – g 1
Pedestal 32 ′
Principal 16 ′
Sub bass 16 ′ n
Subtle bass (*) 16 ′
Violon 16 ′
Quinque Decimus 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′ n
Octave 8th'
Pointed (*) 8th'
Cello (*) 8th'
Super octave (*) 4 ′
Flute (*) 4 ′
Jubilee flute (*) 2 ′
(Continuation)
Basszink III (*) 5 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Backset V (*) 4 ′
thunder 64 ′
Contraposaune 32 ′ n
Contrabassoon 32 ′
trombone 16 ′
Basson 16 ′
Trumpet 8th' n
Wooden trumpet 8th'
Clarine 4 ′
Tremulant (*)
  • Pairing :
    • Normal coupling: I / II, III / I, III / II, IV / I, IV / II, IV / III, I / P, II / P, III / P, IV / P
    • Sub-octave coupling: III / II, tuba 8 ′ / P
    • Super octave coupling: III / P
    • Trumpeteria at II, at IV, at P
    • Tuba to all manuals and pedal
    • Sill coupling III / IV
  • Secondary register : Glockenspiel (Rückpositiv)
  • Playing aids : Electronic setting system with 1,000,000 combinations
  • annotation
n = register added subsequently (2005 or 2007)

Bells

The bells

In the crossing tower there is a small peal from four church bells . Before the Second World War , the chime consisted of two bells cast in 1904 by the Schilling bell foundry in Apolda. The smaller bell survived the war and was cast in 1955 for today's Engelbert bell.

No.
  		Surname
  		Casting year
  		Foundry, casting location
  		Ø
(mm) 		Mass
(kg, approx.) 		Percussive
( HT - 1 / 16 )
1 Dear women 1955 Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock , Gescher 908 450 a 1  +2
2 Bernhard 1955 Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher 788 290 h 1  +2
3 Benedict 1955 Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher 650 150 d 2  +3
4th Engelbert 1955 Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher 578 110 e 2  +2
Bell inscriptions  

Bell I: MARIES - BELL

THE CATHOLIC PARISH CHURCH OF
ALTENBERG March 3, 1955
+ THIS BELL SHALL PROCLAIM THE PRAISE OF OUR LADY.
In honor of her, the foundation stone for this cathedral was laid 700 years ago.

Bell II: BERNHARD - BELL

ALTENBERG, March 3, 1955
IN GRATITUDE THE KATH DEDICATES. PARISH PARISH ALTENBERG THIS BELL TO ST. BERNHARD, THE SECOND PATRON OF THIS CHURCH!
HIS MONKS WILL HAVE THIS MASSIVE DOM IN 125 YEARS. BUILT.

Bell III: BENEDICT - BELL

THE CATHOLIC PARISH CHURCH ALTENBERG
March 3, 1955
+ THIS BELL IS DEDICATED TO THE 3rd PATRON OF THIS CHURCH, ST. BENEDICT.
+ ACCORDING TO HIS WISE ORDER RULE, THE CISTERCIAN MONKS PRAYED AND WORKED IN ALTENBERG FOR OVER 600 YEARS

Bell IV: ENGELBERT - BELL

+ THIS BELL IS IN MEMORY OF ST. DEDICATED TO ENGELBERT.
HE WAS A GREAT FRIEND OF ALTENBERG MONASTERY:
HIS HEART RESTED IN ALTENBERG FOR 730 YEARS.
ALTENBERG March 6, 1955.
THE CATHOLIC PARISH CHURCH

Ringing motifs  

Chime motifs

\ relative c '{\ key c \ major \ time 4/4 b'2 a4 b4 d4 (e4) b2} \ addlyrics {Christ has arisen}
{\ key c \ major \ time 2/2 d''2 e''4 e''4 d''2 b'4 a'4 b'4 d''4 d''2} \ addlyrics {Well bit - let us know the Holy Spirit}

Graves of the counts and dukes

The last Duke from the Bergisch line, Wilhelm III, is located in Altenberg Cathedral . from mountain , buried. The tradition of this burial place was founded by Adolf II von Berg , who was also buried here (between 1165 and 1170) (as a monk). Engelbert's heart from Cologne is buried in the niche of the top chapel. The royal rulers were buried in the chapel until the 16th century .

The following are also buried in Altenberg Cathedral:

Graves of the abbots of the Cistercian monastery Altenberg

  • Melchior Mondorf, abbot from 1627 to 1643
  • Johannes Blankenberg, abbot from 1643 to 1662
  • Gottfried Gummersbach, abbot from 1662 to 1679
  • Aegidius Siepen, abbot from 1679 to 1686
  • Johann Jakob Lohe, abbot from 1686 to 1707
  • Johann Henning, abbot from 1707 to 1720
  • Paul Euskirchen, abbot from 1720 to 1723
  • Gottfried Engels, abbot from 1723 to 1739
  • Johannes Hördt, abbot from 1739 to 1779

Use as a simultaneous and parish church

Ecumenical flag of the Simultankirche in front of the Lutherhaus in Altenberg

The Altenberg Cathedral serves as a simultaneous church on the basis of a cabinet order of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Since 1857 the parishes of two denominations:

“According to your report of May 11th, Js. Concerning the simultaneous use of the restored former Abbey Church in Altenberg, a motion brought by the Ober-President von Kleist-Retzow to restrict the Protestant parish to the nave of the church with the transfer of the transept and the high choir along with its chapels and side aisles to the Roman Catholic community would set the evangelicals back too much and even more than if they were given their own room on the north side of the transept. For this reason and since I am unwilling to make such substantial concessions to the unrecognized pretensions of the Catholic clergy, to the detriment of the Evangelicals, I refrain from agreeing that the transept is left to the Catholics for exclusive use. Rather, it is now necessary to insist on a complete simultaneous use of the church and to divide the use of the same between the two communities with possible consideration of their needs over time. "

- Friedrich Wilhelm IV. To the Minister of Spiritual Affairs , September 15, 1856

The cathedral is available to the Protestant parish for church services daily from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m., during the rest of the time for the Catholic community. In the 1950s there was a dispute between the parishes about these times. On October 11, 1957, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia underlined the “complete simultaneous use of the church”; The Protestant parish has the right to use the church “for the other subordinate services of cult” such as rehearsals and organ playing beyond the fixed times of worship. During this time there were also suspicions that the Cistercians intended to settle in Altenberg again. However, this was not confirmed.

Evangelical cathedral parish

The first Protestant services were celebrated in the cathedral in 1857. The Evangelicals belonged to the Schlebusch community at that time , became the Schlebusch-Altenberg community in 1869 and since April 1950 they have formed the independent Evangelical Church Congregation Altenberg (also Evangelical Cathedral Community Altenberg ) in the parish of Cologne-Rechtsrheinisch ( Evangelical Church in the Rhineland ) with currently around 2,500 members. The cathedral is the parish church for the 1st district of this parish, the 2nd district is Schildgen with the Andreaskirche.

Catholic parish church and "youth cathedral"

Stylized contour of the Altenberg Cathedral on the title page of the youth hymn book Kirchenlied , published in 1938

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Altenberg has been the parish church for the Catholic parish of St. Mariä Himmelfahrt with 2700 parishioners since 1915. Previously Altenberg belonged to the parish of Odenthal , the cathedral was the rectorate church . Until 1815, Cistercian monks were active as pastors for the monastery and the residents of Altenberger Sprengels, but the pastor was the pastor of Odenthal. The parish of St. Mariä Himmelfahrt Altenberg, which also includes the church of St. Michael in Neschen , today forms with the parishes of St. Laurentius ( Burscheid ) and St. Pankratius (Odenthal) the pastoral care area of ​​Odenthal / Burscheid / Altenberg in the Rheinisch-Bergischer district dean District of the Archdiocese of Cologne .

The Holy of Holies , which in Catholic churches is usually kept in the tabernacle near the altar, is not located in the late Gothic sacraments in the choir because of its character as a simultaneous church , but in a side chapel in the corner between the nave and the north aisle of the church.

Since Haus Altenberg was founded in the 1920s on the former abbey grounds, immediately south of the cathedral, the Altenberg cathedral with the "Altenberg Madonna" has gained special importance in church youth pastoral care in Germany. Although House Altenberg in the time of National Socialism repeated by police and Gestapo was occupied, pilgrimages at this time repeatedly thousands of young people to the cathedral. The " Altenberg Pilgrimage Song", composed by Georg Thurmair in 1935 , refers to the Altenberg Cathedral:

"We greet you in your house, mother of all graces."

Even after the Second World War , the cathedral is a regular location for major church youth work. At the World Youth Day 2005 he was “Church of Catechesis”.

Altenberger light

The Altenberger Licht is a light relay set up by the Catholic youth and youth associations since 1950 as a peace sign. Every year on May 1st , lights are lit at the light of the Easter candle in Altenberg Cathedral, which is consecrated on Easter Vigil, and carried from the cathedral to various places around the world as a sign of reconciliation in a broadcast ceremony with several thousand participants . So was z. B. 1995 brought a light to Auschwitz on the death row of Maximilian Kolbe , in 1999 a light in Kosovo in the Albanian refugee camps, in the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade and to the German soldiers in Kosovo. In 2002 the Altenberg light was flown to the Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land .

Ecumenism

On the initiative of the ecumenical committee in the Rheinisch-Bergisches Kreis took place on 19./20. August 1994 an Ecumenical Church Congress with 7000 participants took place in Altenberg. Since 1996 there has been an “Altenberg Forum 'Church and Politics'” on the eve of the day of penance and prayer .

In 1990 the bronze sculpture "Amplexus" ( Latin for "embrace") by the Bergisch Gladbach artist Werner Franzen (1928–2014) was installed on the north side wall inside the cathedral . It was created on behalf of the Altenberg Cathedral Association as a symbol for ecumenism. Christ embraced from the cross Bernhard von Clairvaux , the most important Cistercian, and the reformer Martin Luther - both “ cross theologians ” ( Gal 6,14  EU , 1 Cor 2,2  EU ), for whom following the crucified Christ was of central theological importance . A cast of the sculpture can also be found in the Loccum monastery church .

Altenberg Cathedral Association

The Altenberger Dom-Verein, founded by Maria Zanders in 1894 , made a significant contribution to the preservation of the cathedral in the 20th century, as it does today (e.g. purchase and repurchase of various items of equipment in the cathedral, renovation of windows, etc.).

literature

  • Series Altenberger leaves , since 1998
  • Ludwig Arntz : About the building history of the former Altenberg Abbey in the Rhineland. In: Journal of Christian Art. 10, 1908, pp. 293-308.
  • Martin Banniza: Bibliography Altenberg [about 500 titles 1964–1993]. In: 1894-1994. One hundred years Altenberger Dom-Verein e. V., Festschrift for the 100th anniversary of the association, Bergisch Gladbach 1994 (= publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 3), pp. 197–251.
  • Martin Banniza: Bibliography Altenberg II [about 300 titles: supplements 1964–1993 a. New Releases 1994–1998 (June)]. In: Friends of the Cistercians. Bergisch Gladbach 1998 (= publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 4), pp. 161–197.
  • Martin Banniza: History and Architecture - The Altenberg Cathedral. In: Bergische Blätter. 21, 1998, 3, pp-6 f.
  • Günther Binding , Lucie Hagendorf, Norbert Nußbaum, Günther Pätzold, Ulrike Wirtler: The former Romanesque Cistercian monastery Altenberg. In: Archaeological correspondence sheet . 5, 1975, pp. 241-246.
  • David Bosbach: Altenberg. The cathedral and the valley of the Dhünn. Gaasterland-Verlag, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-935873-04-2 .
  • David Bosbach, Randolf Link, Torsten Ehrhardt: Beautiful Altenberg. 750 years of monastery landscape in the valley of the Dhünn. Gaasterland-Verlag, Düsseldorf 2010, ISBN 978-3-935873-40-6 .
  • Nicolaus J. Breidenbach : The goods and relations of the Abbey Altenberg to Wermelskirchen. In: Altenberger Hefte. No. 35, Odenthal 2006.
  • Karl Eckert: 700 years of Altenberg in artistic images from the 13th to the 20th century. Contributions to architectural and art monuments in the Rhineland 4. Johann Heider, Bergisch Gladbach 1956.
  • Festschrift 75 Years of Altenberg Cathedral Association 1894–1969. Bergisch Gladbach 1969.
  • Ursula Francke: Archaeological investigations in the Altenberg cathedral. In: Ecumenical Council of the Protestant and Catholic Churches Altenberg (Ed.): Altenberg 1847. 1857. 1997. Festschrift 150 years of restoration, 140 years of simultaneous failure of Altenberg Cathedral. Odenthal 1997.
  • Ursula Francke: Archaeological investigations in the Altenberg cathedral. In: Archäologie im Rheinland 1998. Köln 1999, pp. 111–113.
  • Uwe Gast, Daniel Parello, Hartmut Scholz: The Altenberg Cathedral (= monuments of glass painting 2). Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-7954-1960-8 .
  • Eugen Heinen : The Altenberg Cathedral. A guide through Altenberg Cathedral and its art treasures. Christophorus-Verlag, Freiburg i. Br. Around 1936.
  • Eugen Heinen: Altenberg Cathedral and Monastery. Verlag Haus Altenberg, Düsseldorf 1984.
  • Susanne Heydasch-Lehmann, Andreas Stürmer, Klaus Faika: Altenberg. The Bergische Dom. Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg i. Allgäu 2008, ISBN 978-3-89870-297-3 .
  • Godehard Hoffmann: New research on the Romanesque monastery complex in Altenberg. In: Norbert Nußbaum, Sabine Lepsky (Ed.): 1259 - Altenberg and the building culture in the 13th century. Colloquium from 13th to 15th May 2009 in Altenberg (= publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 10). Regensburg 2010, pp. 13–32.
  • Petra Janke: Baroque option. The Altenberg Cistercian Church in the late blooming phase of the monastery 1643-1779 . Berlin 2016.
  • Wolfgang Krönig: Altenberg and the architecture of the Cistercians. Bergisch Gladbach 1973.
  • Hansjörg Laute: The Lords of Berg - On the trail of the history of the Bergisches Land (1101–1806). Boll, Solingen 1988, ISBN 3-9801918-0-X (source for the counts and dukes buried in the cathedral) .
  • Sabine Lepsky, Norbert Nussbaum: The west facade of the Cistercian church Altenberg. Observations on Gothic building technology. (= Publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 5). Altenberger Dom-Verein eV, Bergisch Gladbach 1999.
  • Sabine Lepsky, Norbert Nußbaum: Gothic construction and building practice at the Cistercian church Altenberg 1: The choir. (= Publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 9). Altenberger Dom-Verein eV, Bergisch Gladbach 2005, ISBN 978-3-935921-04-6 .
  • Sabine Lepsky, Norbert Nußbaum: Gothic construction and construction technology at the Cistercian church Altenberg 2: transept and nave. (Publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein 11). Heider-Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach 2012, ISBN 978-3-87314-475-0 .
  • Brigitte Lymant: The medieval glass paintings of the former Cistercian church Altenberg. Published by: Altenberger Dom-Verein, Bergisch Gladbach 1979.
  • Marie Luise Oertel, Rosemarie Bottländer and Claudia Posche: It all started with a donkey. Animals in Altenberg Cathedral. 2007.
  • Arno Paffrath: Altenberg. The cathedral of the Bergisches Land. Verlag Karl Robert Langewiesche successor, Königstein im Taunus 1974; ISBN 3-7845-4040-6 .
  • Emil Pauls : A mass grave in Altenberg Cathedral. Journal of the Bergisches Geschichtsverein 31, Elberfeld 1895, pp. 105–112 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  • Götz J. Pfeiffer: Princely gift and design by a panel painter. Wilhelm von Jülich and Anna von Bayern commissioned the master of the Berswordt retable with their foundation for the Altenberger Westfenster. In: Altenberger Blätter, special issue Das Altenberger Westfenster. August 2006, pp. 13-74.
  • Götz J. Pfeiffer: The painting on the Lower Rhine and in Westphalia around 1400. The master of the Berswordt retable and the style change of the time (= studies on international architecture and art history. 73). Imhof, Petersberg 2009, ISBN 3-86568-194-8 .
  • Heike Ritter-Eden: The Altenberg Cathedral between romantic movement and modern monument preservation. The restoration from 1815 to 1915 (= publications of the Altenberger Dom-Verein  7). Altenberger Dom-Verein, Bergisch Gladbach 2002, ISBN 3-935921-01-2 (Dissertation University of Cologne 2001, 282 pages).
  • Hermann Josef Roth: Altenberg and Marienstatt. The relationship between two Rhenish cisterns. - 118 p., Numerous Fig., Bergisch Gladbach: ADV, 1971
  • Hermann Josef Roth: The plants in the architectural sculpture of the Altenberg Cathedral. A contribution to art history and medieval botany. Vorw .: Prof. Dr. Hansferdinand Linskens. - 156 p., 43 fig. In the text, 336 fig. On 58 plates, Bergisch Gladbach: ADV, 1976
  • Hermann Josef Roth: The sculptural representations of plants in the Middle Ages in Cologne Cathedral. A botanical inventory taking into account architectural sculptures and other art forms (= Europ. Hochschulschriften XXVIII / 117). - 196 pp., 30 ills., Frankfurt, Bern, New York, Paris: Lang, 1990
  • Irmgard Schnellbächer: The Altenberger west window, its message in the light of the Bible. DVD. Bernardus Verlag, 2009.
  • Swidbert Schnippenkötter : The legal situation of the Altenberg cathedral. Bonn 1952
  • Ulrich Schröder: Royaumont or Cologne? To the problem of the derivation of the Gothic Cistercian Abbey Altenberg. In: Kölner Domblatt . Official communications from the Zentral-Dombau-Verein 42, Cologne 1977, ISSN  0450-6413 , pp. 209-242.
  • Dirk Soechting: The Altenberg Cathedral (archive images). Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2006.
  • Ulrike Wirtler: The former Romanesque Cistercian monastery Altenberg. (= Rhenish excavations 75). Rheinisches Landesmuseum Cologne 1976, pp. 84–86.
  • Vincenz von Zuccalmaglio : Altenberg im Dhünthale and the Bergische Dom: with a view, floor plan and description and an orientation map for tourists. Düsseldorf 1884 ( ub.uni-duesseldorf.de ).
  • Annette Zurstraßen : The Altenberg Cathedral. History and Art (= Great Art Guide. Volume 118). Schnell & Steiner, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-7954-0484-3 .

Web links

Commons : Altenberger Dom  - collection of images, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. ^ Heinrich J. Felten: The Altenberg Cathedral. Hopeful sign of ecumenical unity. In: Tourist office Altenberg (ed.): Altenberg in the Bergisches Land. Altenberg Cathedral 1255–1379. Odenthal-Altenberg undated
  2. ^ Gudrun Gleba: Monasteries and orders in the Middle Ages. Scientific Book Society, 4th edition, Darmstadt 2011, ISBN 978-3-534-24259-7 , p. 82 ff.
  3. ↑ cistercium.de
  4. ^ Landscape and History eV (ed.): Looking for traces in Altenberg. Landscape and history in the heart of the Bergisches Land. Gaasterland Verlag, o. O. 2006, ISBN 3-935873-06-9 (authors: Manfred Link, David Bosbach, Randolf Link), p. 30.
  5. ↑ Kunst-Glasmalerei Schneiders & Schmolz GmbH Koeln-Lindenthal: List of a number of already executed glass paintings together with a few illustrations . Cologne 1902, p. 6; 37 .
  6. ^ Church newspaper for the Archdiocese of Cologne, issue 42/12, October 19, 2012; Information brochure of the Archdiocese of Cologne (PDF; 5.3 MB)
  7. ↑ Michaela Paus: Altenberg Where angels come to life in the shadows. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, January 2, 2012, accessed on May 24, 2020 (German).
  8. ↑ Heydasch-Lehmann et. al .: Altenberg The Bergische Dom . 1st edition. Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-89870-297-3 , p. 60 .
  9. ↑ Susanne Heydasch-Lehmann et. al .: Altenberg The Bergische Dom . 1st edition. Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-89870-297-3 , p. 61 .
  10. ↑ Willi Bokler: Foreword. In: Carlfried Halbach: The cathedral to Altenberg. With a cycle of poems by Georg Thurmair and a contribution by Hans Peters. Verlag Haus Altenberg. Altenberg and Düsseldorf 1953.
  11. ^ Götz J. Pfeiffer: Painting on the Lower Rhine and in Westphalia around 1400. The master of the Berswordt retable and the change in style of the time. Imhof-Verlag, Petersberg 2009 (= studies on international architecture and art history, 73).
  12. ↑ Designation in structural engineering for round or flat iron, which are walled into the window reveal of Gothic churches on the inside of the window at equal intervals in order to stabilize large window areas against wind pressure
  13. ↑ Petra Janke - Source: https://www.rundschau-online.de/3302308 © 2017; https://www.ksta.de/2140124 © 2017
  14. ↑ Altenberger Blätter , No. 59 (June 2014); http://www.altenberger-dom.de/?p=5557 , accessed on May 27, 2015.
  15. ↑ http://www.ksta.de/odenthal/reliquien-im-altenberger-dom-rueckkehr-von-johannes-und-paulus,15189234,27315980.html , accessed on May 27, 2015.
  16. ↑ http://www.rundschau-online.de/rhein-berg/reliquien-von-johannes-und--paulus-kein-platz-fuer-maertyrer-,16064474,16992820.html , accessed on May 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ http://www.rundschau-online.de/rhein-berg/reliquien-heilige-in-holzkiste-entdeck,16064474,27305448.html , accessed on May 27, 2015.
  18. ↑ http://www.express.de/koeln/spektakulaere-rueckkehr-die-maertyrer-schaedel-vom-altenberger-dom,2856,27318912.html , accessed on May 27, 2015.
  19. ↑ - ( Memento of November 7, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on May 27, 2015.
  20. ↑ Information on the cathedral organ. Retrieved May 24, 2020 .
  21. ^ The organs in Altenberg Cathedral (Odenthal). In: http://www.orgel-informationen.de/ . Retrieved on May 24, 2020 (extensive description of the organ from 1980 and its general overhaul in 2005).
  22. ↑ a b c Gerhard Hoffs: Bells in the dean's office Altenberg. Pp. 65-68. ( Memento from October 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  23. ↑ Ringing on wdr.de.Glockenpforte ( Memento from January 31, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  24. ↑ The highest cabinet order of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of September 15, 1856
  25. ↑ Evangelical Cathedral Community Altenberg / History
  26. ↑ Quarrel in the cathedral. In: Der Spiegel 27/1957 of July 3, 1957. Online at spiegel.de.
  27. ↑ altenberg-dom.de Homepage Evangelical cathedral parish Altenberg.
  28. ↑ a b Catholic parish Altenberger Dom
  29. ↑ erzbistum-koeln.de: church on site / 070 Altenberg .
  30. ^ Landscape and History eV (ed.): Looking for traces in Altenberg. Landscape and history in the heart of the Bergisches Land. Gaasterland Verlag, o. O. 2006, ISBN 3-935873-06-9 , p. 41.
  31. ↑ May 1, 2013: 2500 pilgrims ( altenbergerlicht.de )
  32. ↑ Homepage "Altenberger Licht"
  33. ↑ Ecumenical Committee in the Rheinisch-Bergisches Kreis , dto., Date Archive
  34. ↑ altenbergerdom.de
  35. ^ Community of Protestant Cistercian heirs .

Coordinates: 51 ° 3 ′ 18 ″  N , 7 ° 7 ′ 58 ″  E