Great Bells of Germany

Here are listed 45 existing and one former great bells of Germany, in descending order by weight.  The list includes qualifying bass bells of carillons, chimes, peals, etc., and is believed to include all bells heavier than 10000 kg.

Not yet included are about 200 other great bells between 4000 and 10000 kg.  Separately listed are other great bells of mainland Europe (bearing the 131 sequence numbers which are not included below).

A regional locator map includes most of these great bells, whether contained in some instrument or independent.

Following the list are some References to related information about the data found here.


Key:

nr.   City, State, Country - EquivalentWeight lbs

"nr" is the sequence number of each bell in the matching table of all European bells by weight.  Bells of the same (estimated) weight share a sequence number, and are distinguished by a capital letter appended to it (e.g., 11A, 11B).
Pitch is in the zero-octave of the carillon scale, which is the third octave of the piano scale.
All are hung on straight headstocks and swung by electric motor, except when in carillons or stated otherwise.

Bells in italics no longer exist.  Prior versions of recast bells may or may not be separately listed.


1.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - ~61300 lbs

2.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 53350 lbs

12.   Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - ~32520 lbs

15.   Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany - ~30800 lbs

17.   Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 29800 lbs

19.   Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany - ~29300 lbs

25.   Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany - 26345 lbs

27.   Dresden, Sachsen, Germany - 25375 lbs

28.   Berg, Bavaria, Germany - 25265 lbs

29.   Erfurt, Thüringen, Germany - 25240 lbs

34A.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - ~23150 lbs

39.   Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany - 22840 lbs

41A.   Gifhorn, Niedersachsen, Germany - ~22265 lbs

41B.   Scheyern, Bavaria, Germany - ~22265 lbs

48.   Berlin, Germany - 21280 lbs

50A.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - ~21200 lbs

50B.   Berlin, Germany - ~21200 lbs

66.   Halle (Saale), Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany - EquivalentWeight lbs

67D.   München (Munich), Bavaria, Germany - ~17600 lbs

71B.   Passau, Bavaria, Germany - 17300 lbs

73A.   Berlin, Germany - 17240 lbs

73B.   Meißen (Meissen), Sachsen, Germany - 17240 lbs

78.   Hamburg, Germany - 16627 lbs

80.   Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany - ~16200 lbs

95.   Berlin, Germany - 14462 lbs

96.   Hamburg, Germany - 14330 lbs

99B.   Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany - ~14100 lbs

102.   Herrenberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany - 14043 lbs

108.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 13590 lbs

118.   Passau, Bavaria, Germany - 13120 lbs

123.   München (Munich), Bavaria, Germany - 12456 lbs

126A.   Berlin, Germany - 12345 lbs

126C.   Köln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - ~12350 lbs

126D.   Passau, Bavaria, Germany - 12350 lbs

139.   Minden, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 12110 lbs

141.   Berlin, Germany - 11993 lbs

144B.   Speyer, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany - 11795 lbs

150.   Düren, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 11130 lbs

155.   Scheyern, Bavaria, Germany - 10670 lbs

156.   Niederaltaich, Bavaria, Germany - 10625 lbs

158.   Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 10450 lbs

166A.   Bielefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - EquivalentWeight lbs

167A.   Berlin, Germany - ~9900 lbs

167B.   Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany - ~9900 lbs

168.   Berlin, Germany - 9832 lbs

175.   Attendorn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - 9039 lbs


References:

Walter Schäfer's list of the biggest bells in Germany (excluding those in carillons) - downloadable PDF, 14 pages.  As of Jan.2021, it includes 410 existing bells of pitch A (2340kg) or heavier; 246 meet our criterion of at least 4000 kg.  His list is in order by approximate pitch of the strike note and then by weight (effectively by internal diameter at the strikepoint), making it easy to see differences in thickness (heavy to light profiles).

The late John Ketteringham's collection of recordings of notable bells includes two of the above.


Return to the indexes to great bells.

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This page was created 2006/04/19, and last revised 2024/05/22.

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