Füssli (Glockengiesser family)

"Bell House" on Sihlstrasse (1908)

Several generations of bell foundries emerged from the Füssli bell foundry family in Zurich .

history

The Füssli family, naturalized in 1370, were the first bell and gun casters in Zurich. The foundry was founded at the end of the 15th century in the "Giesshaus" on Rennweg in Zurich. In 1496 the new "bell house" was built on the large area of today's Glockenhof on Sihlstrasse, which at that time was still outside the city walls. The central bell house and several surrounding buildings were located on the foundry site. The bell house had to be renewed in 1667. It burned down under Wilhelm Konrad Füssli (1785–1843), the last bell founder, and made way for the St. Anna Chapel. In 1843 the foundry had to close due to dwindling demand. Füssli's successor in Zurich was the Keller bell foundry in Unterstrass from 1832 to 1894 .

The founder of the Escher Wyss & Co. machine factory , Hans Caspar Escher , lived in the adjacent "Felsenhof". In 1856 he bought the entire foundry complex. His daughter Mathilde Escher brought her legacy to the Mathilde Escher Foundation . The bell house at Sihlstrasse 35 was demolished in 1909. Today's Hotel Glockenhof was built in its place in 1911 .

Bell foundry

Big bell in Bern Minster from 1611

Peter I. Füssli († 1476)

1421: Zurich, St. Peter, big bell, melted down in 1880

Peter II. Füssli († 1499) ( or 1479–1499)

1478 Glarus, 4 bells (cast in 1859)
1484: Giswil, bell
1491: Wäggis, bell I. (cast in 1765)
before 1499: Cham, bell I.

Hans I. Füssli (1477–1538), son of Peters I.

Näfels, the smallest bell
1494: Lucerne, big bell
1502: Gontenschwil, b-bell

Peter III Füssli , (1482–1548) ( or 1523–1548), also mercenaries and pilgrims

1531: Stans, bell I.

Hans II. Füssli (1530–1586)
Peter IV. Füssli (1549–1579)

1549: Schwyz, Glocke I. (melted in 1642)

Konrad Füssli (1574–1585)

Reichenburg, bell I.

Peter V. Füssli , (1577–1629) ( or 1591–1622)

1610: saddle, bell I.
1611: Bern Minster with Abraham Zender, Big Bell
1616: Beromünster, pen, bell I.
1619: Train, old St. Michael, bell I. "Chriesigloggä", cast in 1902.

Peter VI Füssli (1623–1666)

1636 building, bell II.
1663 Reformed Church Densbueren , bell

Heinrich I. Füssli (1637–1679)

1666: Knonau, Big Bell

John III Füssli (1719–1737)

1728: Zug, old St. Michael, cast in 1902

Cast bells

Around 300 bells were cast between 1421 and 1837:

1663: Densbüren

Old bell of the Reformed Church in Densbueren from 1663

The bell of the Reformed Church in Densbüren was cast in 1663. Today she stands outside the church.

Inscription in front

Her Albrecht Von Graffen
Riedt Diser Zeit Ober
Vogt Zv SchenkenBerg

(Coat of arms of the Von Graffenriedt family )

Inscription above:

"SOLI DEO HONOR ET GLORIA DOMINVS TECVM"

Inscription on the back:

VS HITZ VND FOR I AM
FLOODED PETER FÜSSLI
VO ZURICH HAS ME GOSSE

literature

JW Vogel: The Füssli gun foundry dynasty in Zurich . 176th New Year's Gazette of the Fireworks Society (Artillery College) in Zurich for 1985, Kommissionsverlag Beer & Co., Zurich 1984.
Carole N. Klopfenstein, Hansjürg Büchi, Karl Walder (eds.): Anchored in the center of Zurich: 100 years of the Glockenhof Zurich . Theological Publishing House, Zurich 2011, ISBN 978-3-290-17585-6