Johann Bechtolt Meslang

Johann Bechtolt Meslang († 1585) was a bell founder in Heilbronn in the 16th century .

Life

He came from Ehingen and married the widow of the Heilbronn bell founder Heinrich Rotenberger , after which he tried to obtain Heilbronn citizenship , which he was promised in 1568. From 1568 until his death in 1585, bells cast in Heilbronn can be proven. In the year of his death he was mistakenly named Geßlang in the Heilbronn council minutes - possibly an indication of an inconspicuous work, as he was probably not known to the secretary.

Meslang's stepson was David Meslang from Heidelberg, who was also a bell founder. As early as 1578 he turned to the City Council of Heilbronn for support and received Heilbronn citizenship on November 11, 1585, but left no traces there.

Bells

• 1568 bell that was delivered to Lauffen am Neckar
• 1578 Bell for the Regiswindiskirche in Lauffen, 920 kg, inscribed and dated
• 1580 Bell for the town hall in Heilbronn, 495 kg, inscribed and dated
• 1582 Bell for the southeast tower of the Comburg in Schwäbisch Hall , 145 kg, inscribed and dated
• 1585 Bell for the Sebastian Church in Bretzfeld-Schwabbach

literature

• Norbert Jung: Forgotten bell foundries , Heilbronn 2014, ISBN 978-3-934096-36-3 , pp. 56–58.
• Theodor Schön: The art of bell foundry in the imperial cities of Biberach, Hall, Heilbronn, Ravensburg, Reutlingen and Rottweil . In: Archive for Christian Art: Organ of the Rottenburger Diözesan-Kunstverein , No. 20, 1902, pp. 55–58, here p. 56. ( digitized version )