Today I am presenting the cast steel bells of the Protestant Frauenkirche in the center of Görlitz. The Frauenkirche is centrally located in the center of Görlitz and forms a transition from the medieval city center to the Wilhelminian city center. In the middle of the 14th century there was already a chapel outside the city walls. It was damaged during the Hussite attack in 1429 and may have been partially demolished. It was replaced by a completely new building. The choir and sacristy were built between 1449 and 1461 and a roof truss was erected between 1454 and 1456. This is now the oldest roof truss in the city of Görlitz. The side walls of the nave were then completed in 1473. The church is said to have been consecrated on May 29, 1486. ​​The roof turret and bell tower were erected in 1494. The western porch to form the current tower was built in 1696/97. The church presents itself as a unified late Gothic three-aisled hall church and is one of the main works of Upper Lusatia. The interior is covered with a simple net vault. A special feature of the interior are the decorated keystones and console heads. At the beginning of the 18th century, the church was given a baroque interior. However, it was replaced with a neo-Gothic interior during a renovation in 1868-1871. All pieces are made of warm brown oak. They were made by the wood sculptor Franz Schneider from Leipzig. The wall epitaphs on the northern choir wall date from 1570. The current organ was made by the Schuster & Sohn company from Zittau in 1977. In 1989 it was the starting point for the city's prayers for peace. Between 2003 and 2011, the church was extensively renovated and restored. In August 2022, the church was badly devastated in a break-in. The sandstone figures of the altar were destroyed, a crucifix was thrown down and organ pipes were torn out. The organ has been unplayable since then. The church now serves primarily as a "city church" for midday prayers and exhibitions. A fire in the bell tower in 1480 destroyed the roof turret and bells. In 1481 and 1495 two new sound bodies were built. When the west tower was raised, the bells probably ended up in this. In 1716, Michael Weinhold from Dresden recast the two bells and a year later added a small one. They weighed 508, 255 and 159 kg. During the First World War, the parish's small bell was able to be preserved, the others were melted down. In 1922, a new three-part steel chime was purchased by the Bochum Association. The dimensions of these bells are considerably larger than those of the previous bells. The small baroque bell from 1717 that had been preserved was discarded. It can be viewed today in the Art History Museum in Görlitz (Kaisertrutz). It has a diameter of 650 mm and rings in the tone e''. The steel bells still ring today from original fittings from the tower of the Frauenkirche. They produce a deafening volume near the church. The bells: Motif: cis'- e'- g' (diminished triad) Bell 1 Not cast steel cis' 1922 Bochumer Verein, Bochum 1,560 kg 1,574 mm Decoration: on the neck between two double round bars Casting note: GEG. v. BOCHUMER VEREIN i. BOCHUM 1922. Inscription on the obverse side: IN DIFFICULT TIMES Inscription on the reverse side: Flank out of the depths I call to you, O LORD. Ps. 130:1. on the wolves nine round bars Bell 2 Faith cast steel e' 1922 Bochum Association, Bochum 1 080 kg 1 387 mm Decoration: on the neck between two double round bars Casting note: GEG. v. BOCHUMER VEREIN i. BOCHUM 1922. Flank obverse inscription: DEDICATED TO THE LORD Flank reverse inscription: BELIEVE, YET I ALWAYS REMAIN IN THEE Ps. 73.23 on the wolves nine round bars Bell 3 Hope cast steel g' 1922 Bochum Association, Bochum 700 kg 1 170 mm Decoration: on the neck between two double round bars Casting note: GEG. v. BOCHUMER VEREIN i. BOCHUM 1922 Flank obverse inscription: TO US SALVATION Flank reverse inscription: HOPE REJOICE IN THE LORD ALL WAYS Phil. 4/4 on the Wolm five round bridges About the recording: The exterior photo was taken on June 1st, 2020 at 9:50 a.m. for the service on Whit Monday. The interior photos were taken on October 26th, 2022. 0:00 - Photo series with exterior photo 2:49 - Bell 3 4:59 - Bell 2 7:13 - Bell 1 9:15 - Full ringing Many thanks go to the caretaker, Mr. Kranich, for making the recordings, the tower climb and his time possible, as well as to Pastor Dr. Paul for approving the recordings and their publication. Sources: own pictures Church guide book “Görlitzer Glockenlandschaft in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart” by Michael Gürlach, pp. 75-81