Glockenspiel zur Erinnerung
     an die Garnisonkirche

*Location:

   Garnisonkirche memorial plaza
   Dortustraße at Yorckstraße
   Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
   LL: N 52.39726, E 13.05353

   Bundeswehr barracks
   Iserlohn, Germany

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Contact:

   Preussisches Kulturerbe
   E: preussisches-kulturerbe@t-online.de

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Original carillon, by J.A. deGrave,
   was installed in the first building
   (1720-22), and rehung in the second
   (1731-35), extended with 5 basses by
   Paul Maurer.  Destroyed by war in
   1945, along with two of the four
   swinging bells cast in 1939 by
   Schilling/Apolda; the surviving two are
   now in Potsdam's Redeemer Church.
   Replacement funded by West German
   soldiers 1984-87; sited here in 1991
   after German reunification.

*Technical data:

   Electric-automatic carillon of 40 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F# in the treble octave
   Keyboard range:     C F   /    NONE  
   Transposition is not applicable
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The instrument was enlarged in 1987
     with bells made by Petit & Fritsen
   Prior history:
     In 1986, the instrument was enlarged to 24 bells
       by Petit & Fritsen
       Keyboard range was:     F#F   /    ----  
       Transposition was up two octaves
       There were no missing bass semitones
     In 1984, the instrument was begun with  9 bells
       by Petit & Fritsen
       Pitch of heaviest bell was A  in the itty-bitty octave
       Keyboard range was:     A F   /    ----  
     In 1736, the instrument was enlarged to 40 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
     In 1722, the instrument was begun with 35 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2009

A March 2021 report of a discussion between supporters and opponents of the idea of melting down this instrument.

A Website about using the Garrison Church as a place of learning has a page about the Iserlohner Glockenspiel there, with a photo of the bells.

Why the Reconstruction of a Potsdam Church Is a Political Issue (in English, 2019)

About the carillon, old and new

The Website for reconstruction of the church (in German) includes a page with photo showing the freestanding tower as dedicated in 1991.

Wikipedia (Germany) article on the building

The Wikimedia Commons category for the former church has more than 50 photos, including a view of the present tower and one of the bells.

A long Waymarking page has a history of the former carillon and a photo of present non-traditional carillon; also 5 photos in gallery.
Another waymarking page (in a different category)

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all German non-traditional carillons by weight.
Ranking among all German non-traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all German non-traditional carillons by year of completion.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Germany/Brandenburg.

   This page was built from the database on  2-Mar-25
   based on textual data last updated on 2025/01/15
   and on technical data last updated on 2009/05/23