Porcelain carillon

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Tower of the Frauenkirche in Meißen with porcelain carillon
Detail of the porcelain carillon in the tower of the Frauenkirche in Meißen - the first tunable and playable porcelain carillon

A porcelain chime is a musical instrument in which at least six bells from porcelain are normally struck from the outside. Playable instruments have been around since 1737 and so far only made of Meissen porcelain . Attempts by other manufacturers to make such bells or even carillon out of porcelain have so far been unsuccessful. Porcelain carillon is often colloquially referred to as a carillon , although it is not a typical metal church bells . In addition, the porcelain bells are rigidly suspended and do not swing out when playing. The porcelain bells are clapless bells, which, as already mentioned, are usually struck from the outside. There are only two exceptions so far: At the game in Meerane, which has not been preserved, and at the game in Pyhäjärvi , Finland , the bells are struck from the inside due to lack of space.

Germany has the largest inventory of porcelain carillon in the world, most of which are in the Free State of Saxony . In the 18th century, the sound of such games was still inadequate and their production was therefore not pursued any further. After further developments by the modeller Emil Paul Börner , the bells could be tuned from 1929 onwards. Each bell bears the manufactory's signet along with the name of the pitch. The blue crossed course swords of the epochs can be attached inside or outside; since 1934 the swords have been painted uniformly in a straight line.

Historical

The first attempts to make a glockenspiel out of Meissen porcelain were made in 1731 by the modeler at the Meissen porcelain factory, Johann Joachim Kändler . But as early as 1712 Johann Friedrich Böttger reported to his sovereign Augustus the Strong that he could also make "bell skewers" in addition to many other porcelain items . However, no corresponding attempts were made. A glockenspiel created by Klassung in 1737 was playable, but direct tuning of the bell bodies was not possible. Originally, the individual bells were still shaped in bowl, bowl or cup shape. At that time, Kändler received a lot of criticism, because he had to turn around 7800 bells for the planned game with 52 bells. The result was not optimal, as the bells had warped while burning. In addition, the bell shape of the time, the wall thickness and the impact mechanism were not yet fully developed and therefore difficult to control, the acoustics of the game were rather unsatisfactory. In 1740, on behalf of Count Heinrich von Brühl, KÄNDER created a table-top porcelain carillon with 48 bells in the shape of bowls and beakers. Another carillon was built in 1741. The bells were already decorated in color and bore the coat of arms of Countess Brühl-Kolowrat. But even here one could not achieve a satisfactory sound result. After further unsuccessful attempts, the production of porcelain chimes, with the exception of individual table bells, was discontinued. It wasn't until 1929 that the problem was solved.

In the meantime, the Meissen Manufactory had developed a basic bell shape that could be equipped with various handles. With a view to the millennium in the city of Meissen in 1929, Emil Paul Börner received an order from the general director of the Meissen Manufactory, Max Adolf Pfeiffer , in 1926 to resume the attempts to manufacture porcelain chimes. The aim was to install such a carillon in the tower of the Frauenkirche (Meißen) . With the artist Max Hermann Dietze, who also worked in the Meissen manufactory, Börner had a special expert at his side who had studied harmony. Together they solved the various problems with the material in 1927. On June 1, 1929, a coordinated carillon rang for the first time at around 12 noon at the Meißner Frauenkirche.

Since 1929, many smaller and larger porcelain chimes have left the factory in Meißen and are used for various purposes. Systems that are operated with only a few porcelain bells, often provide a link between porcelain chimes and porcelain chimes represent. This bell number and range play an important role. Porcelain bells consist of three to a maximum of five bells, which are moved and struck with hammers via a camshaft driven by an electric motor. These bells made of Meissen porcelain usually only have a signal function, but can also be called a "game". From six bells it is spoken of a porcelain carillon. Porcelain bells are distinguished from bells made from other materials by their full and soft sound. In the meantime, there are also glass carillon , which, however, differ considerably from porcelain carillon.

Making and tuning the bells

The white porcelain mass made of kaolin, quartz and feldspar is pressed into the shape of a bell with the hands of the porcelain turner. This mostly resembles that of a sugar loaf or a beehive . A pre-formed hub is created by hand. The last air inclusions are removed at the same time during fulling and shaping (mass impact). In a plaster mold, the bell is given its required wall thickness and its final shape on a rotating disc and with the help of a template. Again out of the mold, the raw bell is smoothed over with a sponge so that the glaze adheres better later. Now the pre-formed bell handles are attached with a water-thinned porcelain mass. The raw bell is placed in a plaster mold for another hour, and moisture is removed from it.

In a second variant of production, the finished porcelain mass is poured directly into the plaster mold. In both cases, the bell is put into the kiln after drying and has to go through two firing processes at 900 to 1000 and 1350 to 1450 degrees Celsius: the "glow firing" and the "good firing". The bell must stand free without a core or jacket and support itself in the combustion chamber. During the firing, the fluxes quartz and feldspar melt and combine with the sintered kaolin. After the first firing process, the blank is called a shard. Once fired, the body is immersed in a glaze, the composition of which corresponds exactly to the proportions in the porcelain. During the sintering process in the "Gutbrand" process, the size of the porcelain shards shrinks by around a seventh, and the mass also tends to be deformed.

The individual bells made of hard-paste porcelain with a glazed surface are manufactured in seven basic shapes in the bell turning shop of the Meißner manufactory and form a basic set. The "basic shape 1" is about 15 centimeters high and the "basic shape 7" is about 70 centimeters high. With this sentence, with appropriate intonation , a scale can be created. Porcelain bells weigh between 300 grams and 3 kilograms. The period of oscillation of the individual porcelain bells can only be determined after the fire. There are therefore "long swings" or "short swings". This is especially important for a polyphonic game. All intermediate tones can be produced from the basic shapes by cutting off or grinding the edge of the bell. The porcelain carillon can range over four octaves with their tone scale. The bells are tuned individually by musicians in the manufactory's intonation room. The bell is struck hanging on a test stand and the sounding tone is used as a clue as to whether and how much material still needs to be cut off or sanded off from the edge of the bell. It can be tuned up to two whole tones higher. This is followed by fine-tuning, in which the required number of vibrations is achieved again by grinding off hundredths of a millimeter on the edge of the bell.

Although this fine-tuning can be done today, there must always be several porcelain bells available for each tone to choose from. In addition, there is only a small amount of leeway to find the best attachment point on the bell body. The stop angle must be carefully considered. When choosing the melodies and the respective bells (“long-swinging” and “short-swinging”) you have to follow the possibilities of the game so that no significant disharmonies can arise. The bells of a game must harmonize well with each other so that the mixing ratio of the resonating overtones does not make the game sound “out of tune”. The composition of a glockenspiel requires musical supervision from music teachers or composers . Usually the individual bells are delivered with a white glaze and without painterly decoration. However, special colored decors are possible.

Attack technique and game mechanics

The bell-less bell bodies, which are mostly rigidly suspended, do not vibrate themselves as they do when bells ring . Rather, they are struck while playing by a hammer or mallet, often covered with deerskin, on the lower edge, usually from the outside. In the meantime, an apparatus is also in use that practically "shoots" the hammer on the bell.

The bell bodies are mainly glazed white and without jewelry. But there are also porcelain bells that are decorated by painting or with a figurative relief. Börner provided many of the bells he made with plastic decorations. The first bells also had decorated "sound holes" in the upper part.

Porcelain chimes can be made to sound manually using a gaming table with a keyboard, but also mechanically, pneumatically, automatically, by pin rollers, perforated strips or microelectronic components. Even older games still work today using rods or wire. However, the number of melodies that could be played was limited by the previously common pin roller and it was replaced by the perforated tape over time. Later, more and more microelectronic components were used.

Porcelain chimes are usually given musical care by composers and musicians. Technology, mechanics and electronics are maintained by specialist companies and coordinated in close cooperation with musicians. Porcelain carillon is or has been delivered and serviced by Otto Buer Glocken - Uhrentechnik in Neustadt in Holstein , Turmuhrenbau Ferner in Niederau near Meißen, the specialist company Dürr GmbH & Co. KG in Rothenburg ob der Tauber , Eduard Korfhage & Söhne GmbH & Co . in Melle , Bernhard Zachariä GmbH in Leipzig , Kirchentechnik Martin Eckardt in Halle (Saale) and the repairs of tower clocks and bell systems by Gerhard Vogel in Langenberg ( Callenberg ).

A chime can already sound with three to six porcelain bells. You need six to eight bells to play unison melodies. Up to 42 bells are necessary for polyphonic play. Many porcelain chimes are not operated in winter or frost, depending on their location.

  • Technical details of porcelain chimes

  • Attack technique with magnetic hammer and bells with sound holes

  • Rigidly suspended porcelain bell with sound hole by Emil Paul Börner

  • The bells are hung in the Freiberg town hall tower

  • Detail of the striking technique of the individual bells with a magnetic hammer

  • Porcelain carillon in the Meißen crematorium

  • Pin roller for the glockenspiel in the Frauenkirche Meißen

  • Glance into the clapless bell body

  • Bell detail of the chapel at the Luckenwalde forest cemetery

Composers and soloists

Günter Schwarze is an important composer for porcelain carillon .

Well-known soloists include a. Hannelore Döscher and the late Karl Süss, both working in Raschau-Markersbach , as well as Willy Lehmann, who played the porcelain carillon from the East Berlin Christmas market until 1989, as well as Günter Schwarze and Hans-Dieter Thomas , who work in different places. In the mountain town of Freiberg, the carillon is played by Andreas Schwinger on special occasions.

Porcelain carillon in Germany

Porcelain carillon you can experience

  • Aue (Saxony) : Deaconess house "Zion", 17 bells since 1990 in the specially built tower. The 17 bells were originally ordered in 1955 by Arthur Schwartner, the pastor of the church in Altensalz. Schwartner developed his own game mechanics with wire rope hoists. With his transfer to Adorf / Vogtl. the glockenspiel came there too and stayed there until 1976. Then the sale to the deaconess house "Zion" took place. The carillon was in Meißen from 1977 to 1978 and was checked. A defective C-bell had to be replaced. For the time being, however, a suitable place for the carillon was not found and a new game mechanism was required. From 1986 to 1990 it was gradually installed in the tower of the dining room by the company Turmuhrenbau Ferner from Niederau near Meißen. The carillon is now equipped with a computer-controlled game mechanism.
  • Bärenfels porcelain carillon bells of peace in 2017
    Bärenfels : The carillon is located in the spa gardens. In 1947, on the initiative of Ms. Sondershaus, a resident of Bärenfels, 25 bells came to the health resort as a gift from the Meissen Manufactory. The bell tower and the game mechanics were financed with a donation campaign by the community. On September 18, 1955, the bells were solemnly consecrated, which are known as the "bells of peace". The carillon is supervised by a "bell warden". Since 1970 the game has been equipped with an electromagnetic drive system. In 2006 the system was modernized by the Meißner company Turmuhrenbau Furthermore, and the bell suspensions and stop systems were renewed. With the support of Günter Schwarze, a larger repertoire of melodies was recorded. Every year in June there is a bell festival with a concert on and with the Meissen carillon. In December there is a Christmas singing on and with the carillon. The game will not operate in severe frost.
  • Breitenbrunn / Erzgeb. : Since 1972 there has been a porcelain carillon with six bells on the initiative of the then "Friends of Nature and Homeland". Today the "Erzgebirgsverein" takes care of the game. The carillon can be experienced as part of touristic tours. Only one song from the Erzgebirge can be heard: Your Leitle clears everyone .
  • Bremen : A porcelain carillon with 30 bells has been installed on Böttcherstraße in the house of the carillon since 1934. The originally first carillon with elaborately decorated bells was a victim of the Second World War. Four of the bells, which were still intact at the time, were provisionally joined together to form a carillon. In 1954 a new carillon with white porcelain bells was installed. In 1984 it was tuned and two broken bells were replaced. In 1990 the Turmuhrenbau company also installed the third porcelain carillon. It was now equipped with electronic game mechanics, which were converted to digital game technology in 2009.
  • Dresden : Glockenspiel by Johann Joachim Kändler from 1739, today State Art Collections Dresden , porcelain collection. It is a cabinet or table carillon with 52 bells.
    • The Zwinger of Dresden
      Dresden: The Dresden Zwinger also includes the glockenspiel pavilion, which was formerly known primarily as the Sophienpavillon or the city pavilion. The glockenspiel made of Meissen porcelain has been eight meters above the ground on the side facing the Zwingerhof since 1933. The original 24 porcelain bells had been expanded to 40 bells. A set of 40 porcelain bells with gold decoration and a white border was installed. Most of the bells along with the game mechanics were destroyed in the Second World War, only a few of the golden bells survived. Photos prove this. The game did not sound again until January 1964 and only white bells were used. In 1994 the bells were retuned and new electronics were installed. The carillon sounds every quarter of an hour, but a little longer on the hour. At 10.15 a.m., 2.15 p.m. and 6.15 p.m. a bell symphony sounds for about 5 minutes. The chime for the hour was composed in 1994 by Günter Schwarze from the "Carl Maria von Weber" College of Music. The sensitive bells do not sound in the winter months.
  • Fellbach town hall
    Fellbach : The town of Fellbach in the state of Baden-Württemberg received a porcelain carillon with 30 bells from its twin town Meißen in 1991. The porcelain bells are attached to the city hall in four large window openings. The game is equipped with electronics that have several programs and a large storage capacity. Swabian folk tunes predominate.
Porcelain carillon at Freiberg town hall
  • Freiberg : There has been a carillon with 12 porcelain bells on the city's historic town hall since 1986. It was inaugurated in 1986 for the 800th anniversary. The company Klaus Ferner from Niederau near Meißen supplied the electronics for the game. Coupled with the tower clock, it is operated and stored melodies are played. The carillon can also be played manually using a console.
  • Glauchau : In the town hall tower of Glauchau, with 13 bells. In 1986 the order was placed with the tower clock factory Ferner in Niederau near Meißen to build a carillon. This was inaugurated on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Glauchau. In 1997 it was revised and a computer-controlled mechanism with radio clock was installed. Three song programs are played during the year. There is a spring, half-year and Christmas program. The carillon is not played in the winter months.
  • Halberstadt : The first carillon from 1939 was destroyed with its 25 bells in the Second World War. The second porcelain carillon with 25 bells has been attached to the west facade of the town hall since June 26, 2004.
  • Hamburg-Groß Flottbek : The carillon from 1955, which is today in Waitzstrasse 2 to 4, was installed there with its 16 bells in 2000. The electronically controlled game was previously part of a shop window in the so-called “Burmeisterhaus”. The porcelain bells were originally commissioned from the Meissner manufactory in 1955 by the Rode und Zerrath glass and porcelain shop located in Ferdinandstrasse. This business was taken over by the Burmeister company in 1984 and the carillon came to Waitzstrasse. It was installed here by the company Klaus Ferner from Niederau near Meißen in 2000. All bells have a note on the face of the corresponding pitch, in the form of staves and notes. The musicologist Günter Schwarze from the Dresden Academy of Music "Carl Maria von Weber" tinkled the individual bells. The carillon is not operated in the winter months.
  • Hirschberg an der Bergstrasse : A porcelain carillon was inaugurated on October 19, 1996 above the entrance to the Hirschberg town hall. This was financed by donations. The last bell was added to the game in March 2007 and it now has a total of 18 bells. In addition to the strike of the hour, various folk songs are played according to the season.
  • Krefeld : In the Jagdschloss Museum Center Burg Linn there has been a porcelain carillon since 1995. Professor Günter Schwarze arranged the twelve melodies for the 18 bells, which sound as the seasons change. In addition, some wedding songs and the European anthem can be played. Originally there were 24 porcelain bells that the Krefeld clockmaker Karl Lenzen procured shortly after the Second World War. It is not known where these came from. It was not installed and the 24 bells were stored in the Linn Hunting Lodge from 1965 to 1995. Where the missing six bells went is also unknown. After installing a new carillon computer in 2017, along with maintenance and inspection by a specialist company, the carillon has been ringing again since April 27, 2018.
  • Leimen (Baden) : A carillon made of Meissen porcelain is installed on the facade of the old school and town hall in the St. Ilgen district. The carillon with 13 bells was inaugurated for the 1200th anniversary of Leimen and the simultaneous 860th anniversary of St. Ilgens in 1991. Different melodies sound four times a day. Four programs with 64 spring, summer, autumn and Christmas carols are stored. It can also be played manually using a gaming table.
Porcelain carillon in the Mädler Passage in Leipzig
  • Leipzig : A carillon with six bells hung in the Mädlerpassage from 1965 and was inaugurated there for the 800th anniversary. Since 1969 there has also been a porcelain carillon with 25 bells in the Mädlerpassage. It was a gift from the Meissen Manufactory to the Leipzig Trade Fair Office. In 1983 the mechanics were switched to microelectronic control and computer-controlled operation. In 1997 the former arrangement of the bells and their original way of presentation were completely changed. Different melodies are played every hour on the hour.
    • Leipzig: Since 1950 there has been a porcelain carillon with six bells at the Ostfriedhof Leipzig. It was installed in the funeral hall and is the oldest porcelain carillon in Leipzig.
  • Lüneburg : Since New Year's Eve 1956/1957 there has been a porcelain carillon with 42 bells in the town hall tower of Lüneburg. Emil Paul Börner was one of the guests of honor, had traveled to the inauguration and gave a speech there. There are three different melody sequences that are played during the day. The carillon is not operated in the winter months.
  • Luckenwalde : During the construction of the chapel in the Luckenwalde forest cemetery in 1937, a bell ringing with three porcelain bells from the Meissen manufactory was installed. The bells were clearly visible from the outside. All three bells were lost due to vandalism after 1989. In 1992, after three new bells had been procured, a new chime, which was installed by the Gerhard Vogel company from Langenberg, was put into operation. The bells are now protected from the outside with a decorative grille and therefore only partially visible. The system has a length of 2 meters, a width of 1 meter and a height of 1 meter.
  • Meißen : The Frauenkirche has the first tunable porcelain carillon from 1929 with 37 bells. From June 2002 to May 2004, 22 defective bells were replaced and the old musical mechanism with play roller was repaired. The carillon was restarted on May 31, 2004.
    • Meißen: There is a small porcelain carillon in the Meißen crematorium . The installation took place in 1932 with 4 bells, today it is expanded to 6 bells. Some bells were replaced during the expansion. The bells are tuned F, G, E, G sharp, C and C '. The game mechanics come from the Bernhard Zachariä watch factory in Leipzig. The carillon is located in the choir above the funeral hall and is therefore not visible. It is played for about thirty seconds at the beginning of each funeral service or for about one minute during the transfer to the funeral hall. According to current research, the game from the Meißen crematorium contains the two largest tuned porcelain bells in the world made from Meißner porcelain, which are not showpieces but are regularly played.
    • Meißen: Door bells in the Meißen manufacture, consisting of four bells ( Westminster strike ). It is one of the smallest porcelain chimes.
    • Meißen: The exhibits in the Meißner Stadtmuseum include three porcelain bells, which are arranged like a bell, but are not operated. They are pure show pieces.
  • Münster: In Münster , a carillon has been installed at "Haus Schütte", Alter Steinweg 3, since 1964. The game can also be operated via a gaming table. The 18 porcelain bells are not played at low temperatures.
  • Oberlochmühle : In the district of the Saxon municipality of Deutschneudorf there is a porcelain bell from the Meissen manufactory on the bell hiking trail, which was opened in 2015 . The bell has a diameter of 20 centimeters and is 28 centimeters tall. Your tone is "g". The bell is not operated at temperatures below −5 degrees.
The porcelain carillon of the Süss-Mühle in Raschau is transportable and can be used not only locally
Porcelain carillon in Krefeld, Burg Linn hunting lodge
Porcelain carillon in Potsdam on Luisenplatz
  • Potsdam : A music box by Gottfried Höfer with a carillon from Meissen has been standing near the Brandenburg Gate on Luisenplatz since 1979. The eight porcelain bells are hidden behind a rose arbor. Every hour on the hour, an excerpt from Hanns Eisler's spring song was played . Around 1990 the music box and glockenspiel were defective and had to be restored. On May 2, 2010 it was put into operation again.
  • Raschau-Markersbach : In the Saxon community there has been a private porcelain carillon with 26 bells in the "Süss-Mühle" since 1956. The last master miller, Karl Süss, built a portable carillon in 1952, which can be played using a keyboard. It has been overhauled several times and brought up to date with the latest technology. In 1983 the carillon became the property of Hannelore Döscher. The glockenspiel is played at various events and since it is not tied to a specific location, it can also be heard outside the mill. A selection of melodies, played by Hannelore Döscher and arranged by Michael Münch, have been released on the music CD Meißner Porzellanglockenspiel - Volkstümlich & Modern .
  • Rüdesheim am Rhein : In the old town on the Brömserhof there has been a porcelain carillon with 22 bells since 1996. The owner is the Museum Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett GmbH & Co. Museum KG . The game was supplied by Ed. Korfhage & Sons GmbH & Co. from Melle. The carillon plays every half hour from the beginning of March to the end of December and is operated by a roller mechanism. Some bells have already had to be replaced. It is curious that melodies of the hard rock band AC / DC have already been played with this carillon .
  • Schneeberg (Erzgebirge) : A porcelain carillon with 25 bells for the town hall tower of Schneeberg was purchased in 1961 from the Meissen manufactory. However, it was not installed. In 2006, the existing bells were combined to form an ensemble comprising 24 bells with a range of two octaves. Today the game is called Veit Hans Schnorr von Carolsfeld Glockenspiel .
  • Schwarzenberg / Erzgeb. : First carillon in a Christmas pyramid, installed for the Erzgebirge exhibition in 1937, with 27 porcelain bells. Another carillon, also with 27 bells, was in the Krausswerke in 1938. A third game was set up in 1960; the number of bells is unknown. In 1967 a tower with 37 bells was inaugurated in Rockelmannpark. In 1981 the bells were removed and stored; In 1984 rebuilt in the tower of Rockelmannpark. Today there is a historic fountain in the old town with a porcelain carillon. From 1993 to 1994 it was restored and the carillon with 37 bells installed in the tower of a former transformer house. The carillon does not sound in the winter months.
  • Selb : A carillon with 22 bells made of Meissen porcelain has been at the town hall since 1994.
  • Ulm : Porcelain carillon on the facade of the "Kaufhaus Abt" on Münsterplatz with 15 porcelain bells. It was installed in 1979 for the company's centenary. When the (insolvent) department store was acquired by the Müller drugstore, the department store within Ulm was moved. The renovation work for the historic abbot building is ongoing or awaiting approval by the city. The carillon has not been played since August 2019.
Zittau porcelain carillon
  • Weimar : The porcelain carillon has been around since 1929. However, the bells were not installed back then. In 1967, 12 bells were found in the attic of the Weimar town hall and supplemented with another 23 bells. The newly assembled carillon was initially hung in Belvedere Palace, but only stayed there for a short time. The bells were found in 1983 in the basement of the gardener's house. The 35 porcelain bells were then given to the Meissen porcelain factory for inspection. Then the carillon was gradually built into the tower of the Weimar town hall by the company Turmuhrenbau Ferner from Niederau near Meißen, where it was inaugurated on April 30, 1987. The program-controlled playback of a total of 14 melodies took place at certain times of the year and can also be played by hand.
  • Zittau : The flower clock from Zittau also includes a porcelain carillon with 21 bells. It was put into operation on August 27, 1966. In 1982 the bells were removed due to severe corrosion of the suspensions. In 1984 the repaired bells were installed again at the same location. Until 2002, a folk song was played every half hour. Since the bell bodies have meanwhile become in need of overhaul, the bells have only sounded on the hour since 2003.
  • Zwickau : A porcelain carillon was donated in 1962 by the director of the “Zwickauer Sanitas-Bodice Factory KG”, Walter Becher. It consists of 25 bells. In 1973 it was dismantled and stored in the municipal museum. From 2000 to 2008 the bells were hung on the town hall. The carillon has been on Schumannplatz since 2015.

Planned and no longer existing porcelain chimes

  • Altensalz: It is the carillon that is in Aue today.
  • Annaberg-Buchholz : A Christmas pyramid on the market square of Annaberg had a porcelain carillon with six bells from 1972. It was installed by the local Werner König and electronically controlled with a game mechanism developed in-house using magnetic hammers from the Zachariä company in Leipzig. The carillon was removed again because of the failure-prone mechanics.
  • Berlin : As part of the Miracle of Life exhibition , Berlin got its first porcelain carillon with 16 bells in 1935. After the exhibition was over, the game was placed in a bell tower on Dönhoffplatz. The inauguration on Dönhoffplatz as a "clock of life" was on October 15, 1935. The game was later replaced by bronze bells.
  • Wroclaw : There was a porcelain carillon with 23 bells at the town hall of Wroclaw.
  • Dresden: Table glockenspiel for Count Heinrich von Brühl from 1740 by KÄNDER with 48 bells. The game burned in Stade on February 18, 1767.
  • Dresden: Table glockenspiel for Countess Brühl-Kolowrat from 1741, with 48 bells in cup-shaped form and decorated in color. This game later came into the possession of the Grand Duke of Weimar. Individual bells have been preserved and are in the Weimar Castle Museum.
  • Fürth : Five porcelain bells made of Rosenthal porcelain , Selb, were installed in the tower in 1951 for the 100th anniversary of the town hall. The game did not meet the requirements and was soon removed after a bell popped. The sound did not meet expectations either. It was the only attempt not to use porcelain bells from the Meissen manufactory for a carillon.
  • Görlitz : On the state crown near Görlitz there was a flower clock with a porcelain carillon at the mountain restaurant in 1930. The clock and the four porcelain bells were destroyed in World War II.
  • Hainichen : The porcelain carillon at the Gellert Museum was available from September 25, 1971. It had 26 bells and was once an extension in front of the window on the first floor of the stair tower of the Parkschlösschen. Not all bells were intended for play. Play technology: main contractor company Erich Fiedler, Meißen, rollers from B. Zachariä GmbH, Leipzig. Repairs to the game were carried out in 1979 and 1986. From 1990 to mid-1991 the glockenspiel was out of order because the game rollers were worn out. In 1991 a microprocessor control was installed. In 1995 the magnetic hammers were worn. A condition analysis and offer for gradual renewal with completely new technology was commissioned. In November 1995 the bells were dismantled. In 1997 the bells were tested in the Meissen manufactory. A total of 11 porcelain bells should have been replaced. This was not feasible, especially from a financial point of view. The porcelain bells have been in the museum's holdings ever since. In 1998 the extension and the windows on the building were dismantled.
  • Hameln : A porcelain carillon from the Meissen manufactory was planned in 1956, but was not commissioned.
  • Katowice : At the former police headquarters in Katowice there was a porcelain carillon with 39 bells in a specially built bay on the facade from 1941. It was removed again after 1945.
  • Leipzig: For the reconstruction of the Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church in Leipzig , six porcelain bells were delivered and installed in 1950 to ring the bell. The largest bell was 70 cm high. On June 4, 1950, the church and porcelain bells were consecrated. The porcelain bells were removed again when some bronze bells were found that had escaped their war fate in the Hamburg bell camp. The six bells then went to the Ostfriedhof Leipzig.
  • Lindau (Lake Constance) : A porcelain carillon from Meißen was planned for the New Town Hall on Bismarckplatz until 2003, but it was never realized. A carillon made of bronze bells was installed.
  • Meerane : From 1971 on, there was a porcelain carillon with seven bells on the outer facade of a kindergarten, which was represented by the designer as a "bell flower" in the four seasons . The game mechanics were built into the individual bells. Thus these were struck from the inside. Ten children's songs were programmed on a pen roller. The bells were often vandalized and replaced with white plastic bells. The existing porcelain bells were not installed on the roof of the kindergarten for cost reasons.
  • Meißen: In the courtyard of the Meissen porcelain factory, there has been a porcelain carillon with 28 bells since 1938. This game is considered lost. Around 1950 there was a striking mechanism with four bells in the manufactory's exhibition hall. On the occasion of the celebration of "250 years of Meissen porcelain", a game with 42 bells was put into operation in the factory's workshop in 1960. The bells hung in a 11-meter-high bell tower. In the course of construction work in the seventies, the tower and carillon were dismantled. For the 275th anniversary in 1985, a new porcelain carillon was to be set up in the exhibition hall; this project was not realized.
  • Nuremberg : The game consisted of 25 porcelain bells and was in the so-called "Kdf city" ( strength through joy ) in connection with the Nazi party rallies held there. In August 1942 the allied bell tower was destroyed with a game during a night raid.
  • Rostock : In 1994 there was a plan to install a porcelain carillon on the building of what was then the headquarters of the Sparkasse Rostock am Rosengarten. The Rostock twin city Bremen wanted to support the project and donate the remaining porcelain bells together with the Sparkasse in Bremen.
  • Schwarzenberg / Erzgeb .: In 1938 there was a metal bell pyramid with 27 porcelain bells in the Krausswerke. It decorated the ballroom for the company's 50th anniversary. Later these bells went into the game of Raschau.
  • Schwerin : Planned in 1985 for the town hall on the small market. Later, however, it was decided to play with bronze bells.

Mobile porcelain chimes

At special exhibitions, events and trade fairs in Germany, mobile carillons were and are also used. You were or are therefore only at a certain location for the duration of the respective event. After the events, the bells were usually returned to the Meissen Manufactory or they were combined with other existing carillons. Such resolution games were sometimes used as a "source of spare parts" for defective chimes. Some orchestras or soloists use porcelain chimes from the Meissen manufactory as percussion instruments .

  • Berlin: For the exhibition Miracles of Life in 1935, there was a porcelain carillon in the exhibition halls on Kaiserdamm. The carillon had 16 porcelain bells. Later it came to the Dönhoffplatz and is considered destroyed.
    • Berlin: For a short time from 1969 to 1971, a porcelain carillon was set up in the Plänterwald and Unter den Linden cultural parks . It is the same game that was set up at the Christmas market in East Berlin and is now considered lost.
  • Dresden: For the Dresden hygiene exhibition on Stübelplatz in 1930, a carillon tower was built on the pavilion by the Dresdner Anzeiger . The exact number of porcelain bells built there is a matter of dispute today. While documents report 40 porcelain bells, one can count 70 bells on photos. However, some of the bells that were hung up were not played and were used for presentation and viewing. The game of twenty songs was planned. The playing technique was done pneumatically using paper rolls. The game was played using a remote dialing device or a keyboard. For the first time it was possible to play forte and piano on a glockenspiel . The tower clock factory Zachariä from Leipzig manufactured the mechanism. After the exhibition, the building was dismantled. The whereabouts of the bells is unclear.
  • Niederau: A porcelain carillon with 24 bells is at the Turmuhrenbau Ferner company. It was shown and demonstrated at trade fairs, such as the Gloria 2014.
  • Raschau-Markersbach: The private carillon consists of 26 bells plus a console with a keyboard. It can be packed and transported.

Porcelain chimes that cannot be found

Built-in magnetic sleeve made of Meissen porcelain in the Freiberg porcelain carillon

After German reunification , some games are considered lost or can no longer be found. Most of the time, these are mobile chimes.

  • Berlin: At the Christmas market in East Berlin there was a porcelain carillon with 13, later with 25 white bells from 1955. The owner was the magistrate of East Berlin. It was raised a little above the heads of the visitors and mostly housed in a tower backdrop. The game was playable on a keyboard. First it was displayed at the Christmas market on Marx-Engels-Platz, then Stalinallee and later Karl-Marx-Allee. Then until 1989 at the Christmas market on Alexanderplatz. Every year the game heralded the Christmas season symbolically and twice a day a bell ringer climbed into the tower and played Christmas carols. The carillon was temporarily set up in the Kulturpark Berlin and Unter den Linden during the summer, otherwise it was stored in Leipzig and was last heard at the East Berlin Christmas market in 1989. The carillon has not sounded at a Berlin Christmas market since 1990. Despite intensive research, the whereabouts of the porcelain carillon have so far remained unknown.
    • Berlin: The Chamber for Foreign Trade of the GDR procured a portable porcelain carillon around 1964. At first it was just a game with 18 bells that was played at the GDR stand at international trade fairs. From 1966 the game was expanded to include 24 porcelain bells. The carillon could be seen, for example, in Vienna in 1965, in Budapest and Helsinki in 1966 and in Bari, Paris and Vienna in 1967. This was followed by further assignments at trade fairs abroad. The backdrops changed depending on the venue, and the bells were arranged differently. The chamber was dissolved in August 1990. The whereabouts of the porcelain carillon has so far remained unknown.
  • Dresden: From 1945 a Christmas mass took place for a few years in the run-up to Christmas , which was mostly held in the "North Hall". During the Christmas masses, a porcelain carillon rang out with six bells built into a Christmas backdrop. From 1954 the carillon with six bells in a pyramid could be seen on the Dresden Striezelmarkt for several years. The whereabouts of the bells has so far remained unknown, despite intensive research.
  • In the ZDF broadcast " Bares for Rares " , broadcast on February 12, 2018, a provider from Kassel presented three white porcelain pieces from the Meissen porcelain factory. The art dealer Sven Deutschmanek referred to the three parts as ceramic insulators made of Meissen porcelain, which were produced there from 1934 onwards. All three parts were then auctioned for 100 euros in the shipment from antique dealer Walter Lehnertz . The assessment and the designation as insulators is completely wrong, and the alleged production time and other details explained are not correct. The three porcelain objects made from Meissen porcelain were much more a special production by the manufactory for porcelain carillon. The technology of the magnetic hammer , which strikes the porcelain bell after installation in the game, is built into the hollow bodies of such magnetic sleeves , which are known in specialist circles . The rounded part is used for weather protection and the small holes are used for attachment. This means that these three parts are part of the mechanics of a porcelain carillon, which has now also been confirmed by the Meissen manufactory. Since these special parts are not freely available, they could well be parts from the three porcelain carillon from Dresden and Berlin that have disappeared since 1990, which in turn suggests a criminal offense. It could be a hot lead, according to a porcelain expert.
  • At the beginning of May 2019, ZDF deleted the video with the sale of the three porcelain pieces on YouTube and from its own ZDF media library, including the related discussions, without comment. Journalists and press representatives as well as friends of the porcelain carillon now criticize the ZDF, because there is no answer from there despite press inquiries. You are now finally asking for a statement and threatening with criminal charges against the broadcaster.

Porcelain chimes in Europe

Finland

  • Pyhäjärvi (town) : In a privately operated bell museum, there has been a porcelain carillon from the Meissen manufactory with 26 bells since 1989. The museum also serves as a rest stop and a carillon is attached to each table; the game from Meissen is the only one made of porcelain. The individual bells are struck from the inside, which is rare. The electronically controlled game intones Finnish and German folk songs.

Italy

  • Bruneck : Porcelain carillon in the South Tyrolean town of Bruneck (Brunico) , at the Stadtgasse house (Via Centrale) 19. A carillon with 14 bells made of Meissen porcelain was installed on the facade of the Schönhuber company for the 750th anniversary of the town in 2006.

Austria

  • Gmunden : In the third loggia in the town hall there has been a porcelain carillon from Meissen with 19 bells since 1958. The game was inaugurated on May 11, 1958. The green-flamed Gmund decor on the front is unusual for Meissen porcelain bells. In 1993 the game was expanded to include 24 porcelain bells. A console was also purchased so that the game can also be played manually using the keyboard. The game does not sound in the winter months.

Porcelain chimes outside of Europe

Japan

  • Arita (Saga) : On the gable end, in the garden of the Kyushu Porcelain Museum, has been a porcelain carillon from Meissen with 25 bells since 1984. It was a gift from the GDR and at that time also played the GDR's national anthem. Today the German national anthem will be played . Since 1986 a total of 16 Japanese and German folk songs have been played alternately. This game is the first carillon from the Meissen Manufactory that left Central Europe.
  • Yokohama : porcelain carillon and organ with 40 bells. Since 2007. This combination was specially designed and built for a new, large shopping center in Yokohama. The 40 bells and 49 whistles have been ringing since the grand opening of the Lalaport Mall in 2007.

literature

Books
  • Jean Louis Sponsel: Cabinet pieces from the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory by Johann Joachim KÄNDER. Hermann Seemann's successor, Leipzig 1900.
  • Emil Paul Börner: Meißner Glockenspiele , in pictures from Saxony . Verlag Truhe, F. Pfeifer, Meißen 1935.
  • Franz Maria Feldhaus: German carillon. Verlag Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, Trossingen 1953.
  • Arthur K. Haumann: Song of Praise of the Bells. St. Benno Publishing House, 1956.
  • Martin Mields: Meissen porcelain bells in silicate technology. 1960.
  • Anselm Lange: European table bells. Minner Verlag, 1981.
  • Margarete Schilling: Bells and carillon. Greifenverlag, Rudolstadt 1982.
  • Helmut Dämmig: Meissen porcelain carillon. Meissen Information, 1987.
  • Annelene Raasch: Glockenspiel made from Meissen porcelain. Hauschild publishing house, Bremen 1994.
  • Günter Naumann: City Lexicon Meißen. Sax-Verlag, Beucha 2009.
  • Reiner Graff: When white gold rings out - the porcelain carillon from Meissen . Book for the lecture on November 4, 2018 in Meißen, self-published, 2018.
Magazines
  • The watchmaker week , various editions.
  • The art of watchmaking , various editions.
  • Johanna Hoffmann: Porcelain with a ring. In: Urania , issue 1, 1960.
  • Hermann Lichtenberger: Meissen porcelain carillon. In: Sächsische Heimatblätter, 1961.
  • Ingelore Menzhausen: The porcelain carillon. In: Keramos, Issue 22, 1963, Düsseldorf.
  • Ingelore Menzhausen: Chimes made of white porcelain. In: Urania, issue 12, 1965.
Brochures
  • State Porcelain Manufactory Meißen: Meißner porcelain bells. Prospectus around 1938.

Web links

Commons : Meissner porcelain bells  - collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Helmut Dämmig: Meißner Porzellanglockenspiele.
  2. ^ Jean Louis Sponsel: Cabinet pieces from the Meissner Porcelain Manufactory by Johann Joachim KÄNDER.
  3. ↑ Karl Berling : Meissen porcelain and its history . Brockhaus, Leipzig 1900 ( digitized version ).
  4. ^ Günter Naumann: City Lexicon Meißen.
  5. ↑ Article Neue Zeit of December 24, 1985, September 19, 1988.
  6. ↑ Information and prospectus from the KulturGeschichte Bärenfels e. V.
  7. ↑ Information from the Breitenbrunn municipal administration and the Erzgebirgsverein
  8. ↑ Information from the City of Halberstadt's cultural office
  9. ^ Krefeld Press Service, Dirk Senger
  10. ↑ Information was given by the Krefeld press service
  11. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of September 6, 1969.
  12. ↑ Information from the Meißen crematorium, according to extensive research and research by the journalist Reiner Graff
  13. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of September 26, 1987.
  14. ^ Information from Siegfrieds Mechanisches Musikkabinett GmbH & Co. Museum KG
  15. ↑ Die Uhrmacherkunst , 1935, Nos. 21 and 27.
  16. ↑ Annelene Raasch: Glockenspiele made of Meissen porcelain , page 73.
  17. ↑ Information from the Gellert Museum Hainichen from 2016.
  18. ^ New Times from January 1, 1955
  19. ↑ Swabian , Baden-Württemberg daily newspaper from August 21, 2003
  20. ↑ The Watchmaker Week , 1930, No. 22.
  21. ↑ What was Meissen thinking? Dealers amused! - Bares for Rares from 02/12/2019 | ZDF
  22. ↑ Article in the Sächsische Zeitung , April 17, 2019, "Riddle about three Meissen porcelains. ZDF experts are dealing with a rare case. But they are probably wrong. The trace leads to the end of the GDR."
  23. ↑ Article in Berliner Kurier , from April 17, 2019, "Bares for Rares: Strange parts made everyone ponder - but was the expert right?"
  24. ↑ Article in Sächsischer Zeitung , May 22, 2019, "Whirling around Meissen porcelain on ZDF - The riddle about three Meissen porcelain on ZDF has still not been solved. Why was a video deleted now?"