Bell tower (Schwäbisch Gmünd)
The bell tower , which was previously called the bell house , is a Romanesque building that was built around 1228 and today houses the bells of the Holy Cross Minster in Schwäbisch Gmünd . It is therefore a campanile . This shape of a bell tower is unique in the Swabian region.
Building history
Secure evidence of the bell tower of the Heilig-Kreuz-Munster does not exist until 1578, but it has always been assumed that this building was established or rebuilt in 1497 as a replacement for the collapsed towers. It remained a permanent provisional solution, as any plans to build the new towers of the minster were not implemented.
Wood samples support the assumptions of the historians, because the wood of the supporting structure of the belfry comes from the time between 1502 and 1505. The fact that the wood of the substructure of the supporting structure of the belfry comes from 1490 is seen by historians as preparation for the belfry. This and some other evidence also suggest that the collapse of the cathedral's towers was foreseeable.
On the second floor there are two soot-blackened beams with plank groove and leaf seats , which, together with a niche on the second floor and a remains of a chimney, indicate the earlier use as a residential building. On the ground floor the timbers are dated to 1227 and 1228, as well as two beams to 1143 and 1154. It is assumed that the tower was built as a Romanesque residential tower around 1228, and was converted into a bell tower in 1490 and 1502 to 1505. Since then, no major structural changes have been made to the bell tower.
In the early 16th century, the sacristan's house of the Heilig-Kreuz-Münster was built on the west facade of the bell tower. For this reason, the bell tower with its pyramid roof pierced by the sound arcades, which is twice higher than the masonry, is only fully visible from two sides. Overall, the bell tower is around 36 meters high.
The bell tower was renovated from 2007 to 2009. This was carried out under the direction of the Münsterbauhütte Schwäbisch Gmünd . The city of Schwäbisch Gmünd has been using the ground floor of the former residential tower as an exhibition and event location since 2012.
Bells
The four bells still preserved after the collapse of the cathedral's towers are built into the bell tower. Two of the bells were damaged and mended, which can be seen particularly well on the Marienglocke. In addition to these four bells, the minster also has two smaller bells in the roof turret of the minster. The bells from 1455 and 1456 were cast in Reutlingen by Hans Eger , the fourth bell is believed to have been cast by the master of the fire bell near St. Lorenz in Nuremberg .
| No. | Surname | diameter | Casting year | volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Our Lady Bell | 1370 mm | 1455 | it |
| 2 | Younger evangelist bell | 1240 mm | 1456 | f´ |
| 3 | Older evangelist bell | 1000 mm | around 1300 | G |
| 4th | Marienbell | 890 mm | 14th century | c´´ |
literature
- Richard Strobel, State Monuments Office Baden-Württemberg: The art monuments of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd . Volume 1, history of urban construction, fortifications, Heiligkreuzmünster, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-422-06381-1 .
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 47 ′ 57.2 " N , 9 ° 47 ′ 48" E