Bell tower

The bell tower of our mountain town Sankt Andreasberg has a long history, because the bells have been ringing for over 300 years. In 1537, the Holy Trinity Church was consecrated in Sankt Andreasberg on the Gottesacker. This church had two bells.
In 1688, the entire church was in a desolate condition. Therefore, the mining authority released money for a renovation or even a new building.

The dilapidated church tower was so unstable that it threatened to break down at any time under the weight of the two large bells. At the same time, the small alarm bell on the neighboring bell house had developed a large crack.
It was now considered to build a tower next to the already existing bell house. In this tower, then also one of the two large bells of the church should be accommodated. This bell tower was built as a simple wooden tower, partly from the still usable wood of the church.
The new location of the bell tower was almost ideal. The orientation was such that the houses in the upper and lower town were exactly in the sound. The damaged alarm bell was replaced with a new striking bell, which served, among other things, the clock installed in 1689.
The second bell of the dilapidated Holy Trinity Church was now hung in the attic. The ringing could sometimes not even be heard in the neighboring streets.

In 1733 the big bell in the bell tower got a crack. The foundryman Kehl got the order to repair it. Apparently this crack appeared again after a short time, because in 1797 a new bell was cast.
After it was hung in the belfry, it was noticed that it was hanging crooked. When it was loosened again to align it, it hit to the ground. The impact was heard in the whole mountain town.
In 1767, a dispute arose between the church and the town council as to who would bear the cost of maintaining the bell tower. The town claimed that the bells served ecclesiastical purposes. The church countered that the city had been paying for the tower since it was built.
The tower was barely 150 years old when it was already in such bad shape that the people of Andreasberg had to worry about getting it through the winter at all. In 1834 the tower was rebuilt around the bell tower. In the form we know it today. The order was given to Mühlenpfordt, the builder of the Martini Church, which was completed in 1811.

In 1883 the bell tower got a new clockwork. During the First World War the old bronze bells were confiscated and used for ammunition. They were replaced in 1920 by three steel bells cast by the Bochumer Verein. It has always been the landmark of the former free mining town.