The city of Witten is located on the southeastern edge of the Ruhr region, nestled between the Ardey Mountains, the foothills of the Sauerland and the Westphalian Bay. Since 1582, Witten has been predominantly Lutheran, and the Protestant St. John's Church in the city center had predecessor buildings from the 9th/10th century. The Catholics belonged to the Archdiocese of Cologne until 1821, and since then to the (Arch)diocese of Paderborn. Since 1834 there has been a Catholic parish again. An emergency church existed from 1840-48. The first St. Mary's Church, built in 1846/48, has been preserved in its current building, including the tower. After the church was handed over to the Old Catholics, a second emergency church, existing in 1876/91, was needed. In 1891, the Catholics got St. Mary's Church back. A new building was soon considered, but the diocese recommended an extension to the existing building. This magnificent extension to include a large transept with a dome and ridge turret as well as a choir was carried out in 1895/96 according to plans by the diocesan master builder Arnold Güldenpfennig. The existing tower was encased and raised and given an impressive entrance front. On March 19, 1945, the church was badly damaged by bombs and repaired by 1949; the current tower roof was not added until 1960. The first bells were probably cast by JB Dubois (Paderborn/Brilon), but in 1850 three bells in fis' gis', cast by Georg Claren in Sieglar, came to St. Mary's. These bells were supplemented in the extended tower by a bell in cis', cast by Carl Munte in Witten in 1896. During the First World War, the three large bells were given away in 1917. In 1920, four steel bells from the Humpert, Brilon and Buderus, Wetzlar foundry were purchased, probably in order to be able to use the existing bell frames. The diameters of the largest bells from 1896 and now 1920 were ~1415 mm. However, the steel bells were given the significantly higher pitch sequence e' g' a' h'. The small Claren bell is said to have survived until the Second World War. During the bombing raid in March 1945, all the bells fell from the tower. In 1877, the above-mentioned 2nd emergency church received two small Bochum cast steel bells gis'' h'', perhaps these formed the two-part emergency chime from 1945-55. In 1955, 5 new bronze bells came from the Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock foundry in Gescher (Hans Hüesker), which still give St. Mary's its voice today. The large Mary bell was the heaviest bronze bell in the Archdiocese of Paderborn until 1993, and it remains the heaviest in the Ruhr area to this day. It has a significant epilogue in this recording. In addition to the excellent sound properties, the decoration based on designs by Hilde Broër is particularly noteworthy. Hilde Broër (1904-1987) was born in Witten and, after spending time in Cologne and Berlin, fled to Kressbronn on Lake Constance in 1943. She is particularly well known to those interested in bells for the figurative decoration of the steel bells of Paderborn Cathedral from 1951. Her rich sculptural work in various genres is hardly known in northwest Germany. Among other things, around 50 bells are said to be decorated with decorations designed by her. In addition to the excellent casting quality and the carefully executed inscriptions on the Witten bells, the design is particularly similar to that of the Paderborn Cathedral bells. Despite all the similarities, each bell is designed as an individual one-off. In the bell landscape of the Archdiocese of Paderborn, the Marienglocken are an outstanding example of the art of bell casting after the Second World War, and they can also stand proudly alongside the many new creations in the era of today's bell experts! Bell dates and inscriptions: Marienglocke gis°, ~2020 mm, 5250 kg AUXILIUM + CHRISTIANORUM + ORA + PRO + NOBIS Joseph bell h°, ~1670 mm, 3022 kg SANCTE JOSEPH + PATRONUM + MORIENTIUM + ORA + PRO + NOBIS Additionally above the brass knuckles: IN PIAM MEMORIAM MORTUORUM BELLI 1939 - 1945 IMPRIMIS DIEI 19. MARTI 1945 Johannes Baptist cis', ~1470 mm, 2090 kg CARTRIDGE + PRIMAE + ECCLESIAE + URBIS + NOSTRAE / UT·OMNIUM·FIDELIUM·MENTES·DIRIGANTUR·IN·VIAM·SALUTIS·AETERNAE Under the relief of the saint: SANCTE JOANNES / ORA PRO NOBIS Liborius bell dis', ~1310 mm, 1449 kg LIBORI, PASTOR OPTIME, / NOS FAC SANCTIS MORIBUS / AD REGNA SANCTA CURRERE Pius bell fis', ~1090 mm, 822 kg OMNIA IN STAURARE IN CHRISTO (sic!) On the back of all bells below the inscription: 19 foundry mark 55. The bells hang in two independent steel frames, the two large bells in the lower bell chamber. MD recording: May 3, 2008, as part of a special ringing. Many thanks go to the management of the Witten Pastoral Area for allowing this performance and especially to the sexton, Mr. Stein, for patiently accompanying us through the tower and church. Thanks also go to JH Stens for organizi