Index to carillons and chimes by Schilling
(Apolda, Heidelberg and elsewhere)

The Schilling bellfoundries, both now closed, provided bells for various carillons and chimes throughout the world.  At least two other foundries were also used to cast bells during the postwar period of partition of Germany.  See the bottom of this page for historical notes on these bellfoundries.

The sites are grouped separately by foundry--first Apolda, then the subcontractors, and then Heidelberg.
For each foundry, the sites are listed in order by the year of casting, which may be different from the year of installation.

For an explanation of what this index contains (and does NOT contain), and of the additional details on each entry, see the Bellfoundry Indexes Advice.


Franz Schilling, Apolda, Germany (1878-1911)

LUEBECK - 1                   : GERMANY-BRD  1908*F  trad
   South tower 
   St.Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
   * part cast for a site in Danzig/Gdansk

Franz Schilling's Sons, Apolda, Germany (1911-1939)
(Franz Schilling Söhne)

Dresden                       : Germany      1923 -  great
   Kreuzkirche
Meissen                       : Germany      1928 -  great
   Dom (Cathedral)
BUENOS AIRES - MU             : ARGENTINA    1930 C  non-trad
   Torre del Consejo Deliberante
   Municipio 
PHILADELPHIA - LHG            : USA - PA     1930 F  non-trad
   Harrison Bell Tower
   The Lutheran Home of Germantown (ELCA)
   (These bells were once part of a traditional carillon elsewhere.)
MERCEDES                      : ARGENTINA    1931 C  mech?
   Iglesia de los Palotinos 
FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN - N         : GERMANY-BRD  1938 C (trad)
   Alte Nicolai-kirche
HAMBURG-ALTONA - C            : GERMANY      1938 C  trad
   Christianskirche
LOESSNITZ                     : GERMANY      1938 C  trad
   Johanniskirche Erzgebirge
   (Evang.Luth.Kirche)
KRUESINSEE                    : GERMANY      1940 C [trad]
   (Unknown)

Schilling, Apolda, Germany (1945-1987)

The post-war partition of Germany left Apolda in the region called East Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik = DDR).
LUEBECK - 1                   : GERMANY-BRD  1954 I  trad
   South tower 
   St.Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
WUERZBURG - STK               : GERMANY-BRD  1965 F  peal
   Dom St.Kilian
SONNEBERG                     : GERMANY-DDR  1970 C  non-trad
   Rathaus
MAGDEBURG                     : GERMANY-DDR  1974 C  trad
   Rathausturm
MAGDEBURG - STM               : GERMANY-DDR  1977 C  peal
   Klosterkirche St.Marien
CHEMNITZ - NR                 : GERMANY-DDR  1978 C  trad
   Neues Rathaus
ALTENBURG                     : GERMANY-DDR  1981 C  trad
   Katholische Pfarrkirche
     "Erscheinung des Herrn"
HALLE                         : GERMANY-DDR  198_ F  trad/great
   Roter Turm (Red Tower)
ERFURT                        : GERMANY-DDR  1987 C  trad
   Bartholomäusturm
KLAIPEDA                      : LITHUANIA    1987 C (trad)
   Central Post Office 
BERLIN - F                    : GERMANY-DDR  1987 C  trad
   Französischer Dom
   (French dome)
   cast in part at Feingusswerk Pößneck, 
   Neustadt a.d. Orla, and in part at Waren
SCHIRGISWALDE                 : GERMANY      1991 C  trad
   Katholische Pfarrkirche
     St.Maria Himmelfahrt
   THIS ATTRIBUTION MUST BE INCORRECT;
   	PROBABLY CAST IN NEUSTADT (see below)

Schilling, Waren, Germany (19??-19??)

The foundry of VEB Dieselmotorenwerk Rostock in Waren (sometimes called simply VEB Waren) was used by Peter and Margarete Schilling after they could no longer use the Apolda foundry.
POTSDAM - E                   : GERMANY-DDR  1985 C  trad
   Ehrenhain (Memorial Grove)
   Alte Friedhof
ROSTOCK - U                   : GERMANY-DDR  1986 C  trad
   Fünfgiebelhaus
BERLIN - N                    : GERMANY-DDR  1987 C  trad
   Nicolaikirche
SCHWERIN - S                  : GERMANY-DDR  1988 C  trad
   Schlachtermarkt
WECHSELBURG                   : GERMANY-DDR  1988 C  trad
   Katholische Stiftskirche
APOLDA                        : GERMANY      1989*C  chime
   Town house
   * intended for a different place

Schilling, Neustadt a.d. Orla, Germany (19??-19??)

The foundry of Feingusswerk Pößneck was used by Peter and Margarete Schilling after they could no longer use the Apolda foundry.
GERA                          : GERMANY-DDR  1989 F  trad
   Rathausturm
GERA                          : GERMANY-DDR  1989 E  trad
   Rathausturm
OFFENBURG                     : GERMANY-BRD  1989 C  non-trad*
   Altes Rathaus
MUEHLHAUSEN                   : GERMANY-DDR  1991 E  trad
   Kornmarktkirche

F.W.Schilling, Heidelberg, Germany (1949-1971)

This foundry existed during the period when Germany was partitioned into West and East; Heidelberg was in West Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland = BRD).

FREIBURG                      : GERMANY-BRD  19?? C  non-trad
   Ordinariat
   actual foundry unknown
FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN - N         : GERMANY-BRD  1948 F  trad
   Alte Nicolai-kirche
VILLINGEN-SCHWENNINGEN - 1    : GERMANY-BRD  1955 F  peal
   North tower
   Münster Unser Lieben Frau
KASSEL - K                    : GERMANY-BRD  1956 F  trad
   Karlskirche (Prot.)
MANNHEIM                      : GERMANY-BRD  1956 C  non-trad
   Altes Rathaus / Sebastiankirche
HANNOVER - A                  : GERMANY-BRD  1958 C  non-trad
   Aegidien-kirche
FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN - N         : GERMANY-BRD  1959 I  trad
   Alte Nicolai-kirche
FREIBURG-IM-BREISGAU - M      : GERMANY-BRD  1959 C  peal
   Muenster
HEPPENHEIM                    : GERMANY-BRD  1959 C  non-trad
   Rathaus
Hannover                      : Germany      1960 -  great
   Marktkirche
HANNOVER - H                  : GERMANY-BRD  1960 C  trad
   Henrietten-Stiftung
   (Evang.Luth.Diakonissen Mutterhaus)
HEIDELBERG                    : GERMANY-BRD  1961 C  trad
   Neues Rathaus
BONN-BEUEL                    : GERMANY-BRD  1962 C  trad
   St.Josephskirche
SPEYER                        : GERMANY-BRD  1963 E  peal
   Imperial Cathedral Basilica
     of the Assumption and St.Stephen

Historical Notes:

Apolda
The Apolda bellfoundry was begun in 1722 by Johann Christoph Rose, and later was operated by his close relative Martin Rose.  In 1759, this foundry was taken over by members of the Ulrich family, who had been bellfounders in Laucha since 1730.  The Ulrich family operated both foundries together for over a century, only separating into distinct operations in 1862.  No carillons or chimes are known from this early period of its history.

In 1878, the Apolda foundry was taken over by Franz Friedrich August Schilling (1853-1926), though he seems to have made use of the Ulrich name and connection for some years thereafter.  (The Laucha foundry continued to operate until 1908; it is now a bell museum.)  F.F.A.Schilling retired in 1910, after which the name of the foundry was changed to reflect its management by his sons, Otto Wolfgang Schilling (1882-1962), August Heinrich Friedrich Schilling (1886-1928) and Franz August Schilling (1897-1977).

In the partition of Germany following World War II, Apolda fell into the Russian zone, which eventually became the German Democratic Republic (DDR), commonly called East Germany.  In spite of the difficulties caused by the political situation, the foundry was reestablished under the management of F.A.Schilling, later joined by his son, Franz Peter Schilling (1930-2001; called Peter).  In 1972, the foundry was nationalized; nevertheless, Peter and his wife, Margarete, were retained in management positions for a further four years, Peter being the plant manager.  After that, Peter and Margarete were self-employed in a variety of fields.

It is not known who managed the Apolda foundry after the Schillings were ousted.  It ceased operation in 1987.  After the reunification of Germany, the foundry property was returned to Peter and Margarete Schilling in 1992; but they found nothing of value left there--only scrap metal and other rubbish.

The total production of the Apolda foundry during its 275+ years of operation was more than 20,000 bells.  For a considerable part of that time, it was one of the largest bellfoundries (if not the largest) in Germany.

Neustadt, Waren, etc.
After Peter and Margarete Schilling could no longer use the Apolda foundry, they made use of other foundries (shown above) to cast bells.

Heidelberg
The partition of Germany also led to the establishment of another Schilling bellfoundry, this one in Heidelberg, West Germany.  It served the West German and worldwide markets, which the Apolda foundry could not then do.  It was operated by Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling (1914-71), son of O.W.Schilling, from 1949 until his death.  Thereafter it was called the "Heidelberg Bellfoundry," but its proprietor under that name has not yet been identified.  In 1982 it was taken over by the Bachert bellfoundry.


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This index page was built from the database on 02-Jul-01 and last revised on 7-Mar-23.

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