The ensemble of the cathedral and the Severi Church towers over Erfurt on the cathedral hill. The two churches on the cathedral hill form a unit not only visually but also acoustically, and their bells have been connected for centuries. The cathedral alone has an impressive 16 ringing and striking bells, distributed across the mighty tower complex between the high choir and the nave, ten of which are part of the actual bell ringing - the most famous of these is the Gloriosa, the 'queen of all bells' in the central tower. In addition to the Gloriosa, the five-part main bell ringing is located in the north and south towers, the core of which goes back to the pentatonic ensemble created by Nicolaus J. Sorber in 1720/21, of which the two frame bells are still preserved today. The four silver bells ring above the Gloriosa - their mystical sound is of a peculiar charm. The ridge bell, four strike bells and one sight bell are not part of the actual cathedral bell ringing. Even if large parts of the history of the bells are shrouded in mystery, the city chroniclers at least meticulously documented the casting of 'their' Gloriosa, one of the largest bells in the West. A look at history reveals that the first Gloriosa was cast in 1251 and that up to 16 other bells were in use until the great city fires in 1416 and 1472. The current Gloriosa is already the sixth (1251, 1307, 1363, 1423, 1477) and was cast by Gert van Wou on the night of July 7/8, 1497. He later also created the cathedral bell Osanna (G#) and the Vincentia (H#) for St. Severi. A bell for the silver bell was made by Master Peter in 1475. In 1479, the mysterious pair of bells 'Maria' and 'Cantabona' were created, made by the masters Peter/Apel, in a shape based on early medieval beehive bells. After being damaged in 1492, the Cantabona now bears a different foundry mark - its facsimile is probably a testament to the excellent casting skills of the 'Great Erfurt Unknown', Hans Sinderam. Jakob König finally completed the silver bells in 1625. The main bells consisted of van Wous Osanna, the three-part 'back bell' (~1500), and 'Wolf'. The great tower fire in 1717 destroyed seven bells weighing ~400 hundredweight. Only the Gloriosa and silver bells remained intact thanks to the massive vaults in the central tower. Thanks to the donation of two cathedral canons, Matthias and Ewaldt, the Erfurt founder Sorber was commissioned to renew the bells, based on the Gloriosa. In two stages, he created the three south tower bells in 1720 and the north tower bells in 1721. The Phrygian melody line EGACDE (the G raised, as in the destroyed Osanna) has been ringing from the cathedral hill for more than 300 years. Contrary to today's ringing practice, the main bell was designed for ringing with the Gloriosa. Unfortunately, the bell has not survived in this form. After a crack, the Andreas bell was melted down in the First World War, and two more Sorber and silver bells followed in the Second World War. Since 1952, the angel from St. Severi has replaced the lost Mary - the Nameless one comes from the Brunnenkirche, also cast by Master Peter. The destroyed bells of the main chime were replaced in 1961 by Franz P. Schilling in the same pitch; two clock bells with a shortened rib and the transformation bell for the roof turret in a sugarloaf-like shape were also created. The Schilling bells of the main chime have a high sound quality and harmonize excellently with the Sorber bells and the Gloriosa. The baroque Trinity bell is also not to be sniffed at; for a lightly ribbed septim bell, it also provides a formidable foundation for the current main chime. In 1984, a hairline crack first appeared in the Gloriosa, and despite successful repairs, a new one appeared just 30 years later. Since December 8, 2004, the re-welded bell has been rung again, albeit in a reduced form. And that is a good thing. It is not for nothing that it was given the title 'omnium campanarum regina' as early as 1650, especially because of its sound. The Gloriosa is one of the most important bell castings ever, and has been praised in numerous international treatises. In terms of art history, the Gloriosa has a lot to offer: the noble inscription, the graceful relief of the Madonna in a halo. In 2009, the transfiguration bell was finally replaced by a new cast from Maria Laach and transferred to the old tower clock in the central tower. On top of that, an unused bell found its place in the attic and is rung there for demonstration purposes. The Erfurt Cathedral bell is a strange but rightly much-admired bell - probably one of the most important of our time. Information about the bells can be found in the video or on the author's website: http://bit.ly/erfurtdomglocken 00:00 Introduction 02:30 Gloriosa 09:15 Main bell 24:15 Silver bell 33:15 Other bells 38:40 Full bell #Bells #Gloriosa