A bronze church bell from the Ore Mountains, cast in 1499, shaped village life for centuries. It accompanied generations of people and endured countless historical events.
During World War II, many bronze church bells were removed and melted down to supply metal for the war effort. Only a relatively small number of these historic bells survived – the bell from the Ore Mountains was one of them.
When it was eventually recovered, the bell itself had been damaged and its crown had been completely destroyed. Without this essential component, the bell could no longer be mounted.
The bell was sent to the Grassmayr GmbH Bell Foundry in Innsbruck for restoration. With more than 400 years of experience and expertise, the family-owned company carefully restored the historic bell.
At ACTech, we produced the mould for the new bell crown using our 3D sand printing technology and delivered it to Innsbruck. There, the new crown was cast in bronze and joined to the more than 500-year-old bell. It was a remarkable combination of advanced manufacturing technology and centuries-old craftsmanship!
In just a few weeks, the bell will once again ring from its original location in the Ore Mountains. We are grateful that our technology has contributed to preserving a meaningful piece of regional history for future generations!