City tower (Olten)
The city tower (since the name of the surrounding square after Ildefons von Arx OSB (1755-1833) also called Ildefonsturm ) is a former church tower in the city of Olten , which today functions as a secular city tower.
Structure and history
The tower was erected in 1521 by Konrad Gibelin von Solothurn in front of the St. Martin Church , which burned down in 1422 and was rebuilt in 1461 as a bell tower. From 1628 to 1676 it was increased by one storey and given a baroque style . It thus reaches a height of 42 meters and therefore towers above the medieval core of the old town. After the church was demolished in 1844, which had become dilapidated over time, the tower was left standing. The building was renovated in 1928, 1975 and 2006 respectively.
Bells
Inside, the tower now houses five bells . The four largest, which are provided with chimes, sound in the tones: g 1 , c 2 , e 2 , b 2 .
History and description of the bells
Information about the first bells of the town church can be found in the year book of 1490. It is recorded there that the church probably already had a bell with at least three parts. There are also indications in the municipal fire regulations, which were issued after the city fire of 1422. It stipulates that a citizen in whose house a fire breaks out after the "bed-logging zit" should be fined three times. Therefore, the oldest dated bell in the existing chime bears the year 1446. With the consent of the Bishop of Sitten , Wilhelm von Raron, he was given two particles of the former St. Theoduls bell or St. Joder bell , which merged the bell food of the new bells were.
After the construction of the tower, the smaller one, dated 1520, was probably made. In addition to the inscription "+ ave maria gratia plena anno m ccccc xx", it is decorated with two cord-like decorative beads, making it an "angelus bell". It should be the bell that the two bell founders P. Füssli and D. Keizer of the city acknowledged in their final accounts in 1522.
The oldest bell is also an Angelus bell, as the inscription "ave * gratia * plena" can be read between two decorative beads. Presumably it was originally in the Obertor.
The big bell from 1560 is no longer there as it broke in 1927. E. Dreyer and his apprentices tried to weld the crack in the bell in the SBB workshops, but the damage could not be repaired. Therefore, the bell had to be re-manufactured by the Rüetschi bell foundry in Aarau using the previous bell . It is decorated with the inscription in Latin capital letters "THE BELL * SOUND * CALL * THE * CITIZENS * OF THIS * CITY * TO * WORK * AND * COMMON *", the three-tub coat of arms with the inscription: "OLTEN 1560–1928" and that Logo of the manufacturer. A cast of the inscriptions and the reliefs as well as a photograph of the cracked bell with the traces of the unsuccessful welding attempt are available from the former large bell.
In the lantern of the city tower hangs the richly decorated fire bell, cast in 1863, with the inscription "Through fire I poured for fire in 1863" and not, as previously assumed, the storm or fire bell of the former upper gate.
meaning
The tower concerts take place here every year. The local carnival also starts here.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Martin Ed. Fischer: Kultur-Stadt Olten: Pictures, documents and texts on the city's history. Weltbild, 2008, ISBN 978-3-03812287-6 .
Coordinates: 47 ° 20 '58.4 " N , 7 ° 54' 13.7" E ; CH1903: six hundred and thirty-five thousand one hundred forty-nine / 244404