It is a fine tradition in Frankfurt to listen to the sound of Frankfurt's church bells at special festivals. Four times a year - before Easter, Whitsun, Christmas and on the 1st night of Advent - the bells of the ten inner city churches, harmoniously coordinated, play a rousing bell concert. For many people in Frankfurt, the Great City Bell Ringing is also an integral part of the Easter holidays. To meet in the city on Holy Saturday, to simply pause for 30 minutes and listen to this work of sound art with other people. But like so many things, this year's Great City Ringing is different than usual.
"Every year I look forward to this date, as do many Frankfurt residents. But this year we prefer to enjoy the Great City Ringing at home, in order to continue to slow down the spread of the coronavirus" says Mayor and Head of the Church Uwe Becker. "For this reason, I invite all Frankfurt residents to experience the urban tradition and sense of community together online."
For the first time, the Great City Ringing can be heard in its entirety online at http://frankfurt.de on Holy Saturday from 4.30pm. Ten churches with a total of 50 bells are perfectly coordinated and then form the very special "Sound of Frankfurt" online.
"The bells of the inner city churches are very different and each one is a work of art in itself. Together they form a touching sequence of sounds," Becker points out. "Perhaps this year the Great City Ringing can also create a special sense of 'we. Therefore, on the city's Facebook page, the Great City Ringing will sound as is tradition on Holy Saturday from 4:30 to 5 p.m. and we can all experience it together."
So we don't have to give up this lovely tradition - just the special sense of community, but hopefully by giving it up we can experience it again soon. Certainly not yet at Pentecost, but perhaps at least at Christmas.
Today's composition goes back to the bell expert Professor Paul Smets, who composed the peal in 1954. However, the first ringing of all Frankfurt's bells dates back to 1347. The first bell is the civic bell of St. Paul's Church. It is followed by the other five bells of St Paul's Church. This is followed by the four bells of St. Catherine's Church on the Hauptwache, and then the five bells of the Church of Our Lady. North of the Liebfrauchenkirche, the four bells of St. Peter's Church and the three bells of the Dominican Monastery ring out. With its six bells, the Leonhardskirche on the Main joins in as well as the four bells from the Kamiliterkloster, which also belong to the Great City Ringing. The four bells of the Alte Nikolaikirche on Römerberg complete the composition before the southernmost Dreikönigskirche on the other side of the Main joins the city ringing with its five bells. The climax is reached with the nine bells of the Kaiserdom. Among them is the Gloriosa, Frankfurt's most famous bell. At 11,950 kilograms, it is the heaviest of the bells in Frankfurt's inner city churches and the second heaviest bronze bell in Germany. In total, the 50 bells of the ten inner city churches together weigh 64,804 kilograms.
