Kurt Kramer (bell expert)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurt Kramer (* 1943 in Karlsruhe ) is a German bell expert . He is one of the world's leading experts in this field and has been committed to the preservation of bells as an important cultural asset at an international level for decades .

Live and act

Kurt Kramer studied architecture and music in his hometown of Karlsruhe. He completed his architecture studies with a degree in engineering and worked for a while as an architect. Fascinated by the musical instrument “bell” and its millennia-old tradition, Kramer then turned to this specialist area. Since the 1970s he was the bell expert of the Archdiocese of Freiburg and as such was responsible for the more than 6000 bells of the archdiocese, the most famous of which is the “Hosanna” of the Freiburg Minster from 1258. In addition, he is active in the advisory committee for the German bell system, an ecumenical body of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Bishops' Conference .

He has been archiving bell tones on sound and image carriers since the 1960s. CDs with the sounds of the most famous bells in Europe, including the bell and its peal, were produced on numerous trips . History, technology and sound from the Middle Ages to the present (1986), bells and chimes in Europe (1988) and above all the sound representation published by Kramer, The German Bell Landscapes (1989/1990). In addition, Kramer played television and radio broadcasts, including on ARD and its regional channels (Landesschau, SWR2, SWR4), Phönix , 3sat , Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio .

In addition, Kramer researches worldwide for artistic bell representations in the visual and creative arts, in music and literature. In addition to numerous specialist publications, this also resulted in standard works in book form, including the two-volume work Bells in Past and Present. Contributions to Glockenkunde (1996–1997), which he was editor of, and The Bell. A cultural history (2007). Due to his extensive activity in the bell system, he received titles such as "Bell Pope" or "Monsieur Bimbam".

In April 2007, Kramer pointed out that many German bells were in danger because the wrong materials had often been used for the clapper and this caused severe damage to the bells over the long term due to the constant beating.

Kurt Kramer has been a pensioner since 2008 and has devoted himself intensively to the cultural history of bells. This resulted in his most comprehensive work in 2015: "Sounds of Infinity" (2015), which received national attention.

On May 18, 2018, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Gregory by Pope Francis , one of the highest honors that the Pope bestows on laypeople. This was presented to him in a solemn ceremony by Freiburg's Archbishop Stephan Burger .

The Theological Faculty of the University of Freiburg awarded him an honorary doctorate 6 weeks later, on June 30, 2018.

Kurt Kramer is married and has two children.

Publications

Fonts (selection)

  • together with Rudi Kramer: Die Konstanzer Glockengießer , Konstanz 1986
  • as editor: Bells in the past and present. Contributions to bells , two volumes, Karlsruhe 1996–1997
  • Editing together with Monika Lustig: bells and carillon. 17th Musical Instrument Building Symposium in Michaelstein, November 8-10, 1996 , Michaelsteiner Conference Reports (No. 56), Blankenburg 1998, ISBN 3-89512-108-8
  • What bells announce to us , Kevelaer 2006, ISBN 3-7666-0777-4
  • together with Nane Friedel (pictures): From bells told to children , Kevelaer 2006, ISBN 3-7666-0793-6
  • Sounds between time and eternity. Fascination bells , book and CD, Kevelaer 2006, ISBN 3-7666-0782-0
  • The bell. Eine Kulturgeschichte , Ostfildern 2007, ISBN 3-7867-8597-X
  • Sounds of infinity . Butzon & Bercker, Kevelaer 2015, ISBN 978-3-7666-2178-8

Sound carrier

  • The bell and its ringing. History, technology and sound from the Middle Ages to the present , Munich 1986 (record with accompanying booklet; 2nd edition with changed text including CD Munich 1988, ISBN 3-422-06021-9 )
  • Die Glocken des Dombergs zu Erfurt , Munich 1987 (cassette with accompanying booklet; 2nd, improved edition Munich 1989, cassette with accompanying booklet, ISBN 3-422-06044-8 )
  • Bells and chimes in Europe , Munich 1988 (CD with accompanying booklet, ISBN 3-422-06016-2 )
  • as editor: The German Bell Landscapes , Munich 1989/1990
  • Reichenau monastery island in Lake Constance. Part: A bell hike through Reichenau , Stuttgart 2001 (CD)
  • The Salem Minster . Part: The Glockenhimmel von Salem , Stuttgart 2002 (CD)
  • Fascinating worlds of sound - organ and bells

DVD

Quotes

“The people in the communities usually only have a vague idea of ​​why it is ringing at all. Above all, bells should give a rhythm to the day and ring in an interruption in everyday life. Time for prayer, time to pause, time to think about the meaning of life. When the bell signals the death of a person, it wants to tell us that this death is not an individual fate, but concerns the whole community. In this context, I think it's a shame that the baptismal bells that used to be common in many parishes - there is a baptismal bell hanging on almost every tower - has been forgotten. When a person is accepted into the community of Christians, it is always worth a welcome ring and a prayer. "

- Kurt Kramer, 2007

"I prefer to be in the towers by the bells."

- Kurt Kramer, 2008

"Karlsruhe has a unique historical city plan and a cultural landscape that is unparalleled in Europe in relation to the size of the city."

- Kurt Kramer, 2008

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ State show Baden-Württemberg: Kurt Kramer, bell expert | Guest from Karlsruhe. December 7, 2015, accessed December 14, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Conversation with Kurt Kramer: The cultural history of the bell. Retrieved December 14, 2016 .
  3. ^ Kurt Kramer on February 28, 2010 | Program | SWR4 Baden-Württemberg. In: swr.online. Retrieved December 14, 2016 .
  4. ↑ for example: NN: The Bell Pope - Kurt Kramer is committed to the preservation of bells worldwide ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Retrieved April 7, 2007 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.media-bw.de
  5. ↑ a b Germany's bells are in danger , interview of the Berliner Morgenpost with Kramer on April 3, 2007 ( memento of July 3, 2007 in the web archive archive.today ); Retrieved April 7, 2007
  6. ↑ Timo Bercker: Sounds of Infinity by Kramer, Kurt. In: www.butzon-bercker.de. Retrieved December 14, 2016 .
  7. ↑ a b Kurt Kramer: bell expert , ka-news profile; Retrieved January 4, 2010
personal data
SURNAME Kramer, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German bell expert and non-fiction author
DATE OF BIRTH 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe