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The Dominsel , the smallest of the three islands on which the historic quarters of Brandenburg are built, escaped the worst of the bombing and is by far the most visually pleasing part of town. From the Gotthardtkirche, you have to approach it circuitously via yet another island, occupied mainly by sports fields, to the north; there's a more direct approach along Muhlendamm from the Neustadtischer Markt. Taking the latter approach, the first monument you come to is the Petrikapelle , a thirteenth-century chapel given a spectacular interior transformation three hundred years later, with the addition of the intricate late Gothic cellular vault resting on hexagonal pillars. The Dom was begun around 1165 as a Romanesque basilica, and slowly converted to Gothic in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, though many parts of the old structure were retained, notably the arcades of the nave. The most atmospheric part is the crypt , where you can see the poignant original triumphal cross , supplanted in situ by a more monumental Gothic group. Even more eye-catching are the capitals , whose carvings of fabulous beasts and eerie half-human creatures show the vivid flights of imagination of which the medieval mind was capable. A contrastingly sombre note is struck by a series of metal plates, each accompanied by an appropriate biblical quotation, commemorating local clergymen murdered by the Nazis. It's a fitting reminder of the high-profile political role the Dom has played, most recently during the Wende of 1989 when the church was regularly filled for recitals given on the magnificent Baroque organ , attracting large financial donations for the democratic cause in the process. In the south transept is a beautifully carved and painted Bohemian altar from around 1375, whose radiantly joyous saints mark a refreshing change from the anguished figures normally found in religious art. This was originally the high altar, but it was displaced in favour of a large retable brought here when Kloster Lehnin was secularized after the Reformation. In front of the latter stands a delicately modelled fourteenth-century font , with scenes from the childhood of Christ on its basin, and more fantastic animals on the base. On the north side of the choir, look out for the appropriately named Bunte Kapelle (Painted Chapel), another survivor from the Romanesque period. The Dommuseum (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm; DM5/?2.50) occupies the conventual buildings of the  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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Premonstratensian collegiate foundation which moved here from the Gotthardtkirche. There's a superb array of medieval textiles, including a Hungertuch of 1290, made to cover the altar during Lent. Even finer is the collection of manuscripts, of which the star piece is the Brandenburg Evangelistary , a sumptuous late Romanesque Gospel book adorned with colourful miniatures. The original is displayed with one page open; a facsimile of the whole book is kept for examination at leisure.
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