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New 5th bell for Germersheim: A sound of hope and history!
On June 15, 2025, a new bell will be inaugurated in the St. Jakobus Church in Germersheim, which will ring in celebration of peace and freedom.
New 5th bell for Germersheim: A sound of hope and history!
On June 15, 2025 the time had finally come: The St. Jakobus Church in Germersheim was proud to consecrate its new, fifth church bell. Vicar General Markus Magin, Dean Jörg Rubeck and Chaplain Bala Jujugiri led the festive service, which was attended by a large congregation. As bistum-speyer.de reports, this bell was a special asset because it was built during the extensive Renovation work was carried out on the church building, during which the belfry was also renewed.
The new bell has an eventful history behind it. It comes from a Protestant church in Saarbrücken that has lost its sacred function and was cast in Stuttgart in 1935. The bell received a special dedication for the festive service: It bears the quote “Where I am, there I am whole” by priest Paul Josef Nardini. So far, around 6,000 euros of the 8,000 euros required for defect management have been collected through donations, with around three quarters of the total amount already collected rheinpfalz.de reports.
A bell for peace
In his sermon, Vicar General Magin emphasized the importance of the bells, which also played a role in the history of National Socialism. They stand for peace and freedom and are part of the church traditions that have existed since the 5th to 6th centuries. Bells are not only acoustic symbols, they also invite the community to prayer and intercession, as well as various celebrations in a person's life. The new bells will take over the leading tone in the bells in the future and will be temporarily hung in the side aisle of the church during the construction process until the work on the church tower is completed.
The rest of the ringing of the St. James Church consists of the following bells:
| bark | Weight | pitch |
|---|---|---|
| St. Mary's bell | 1,504kg | cis |
| St. Peter Canisius bell | 915kg | e |
| St. Hildegard bell | 718kg | fis |
| St James Bell | 450kg | G sharp |
The older bells suffered sad fates during the two world wars when they had to be delivered for war purposes in 1917 and 1942. The reacquired bell will now not only break the silence of the last few months, but also usher in a new era of bell ringing in the community.
The church choir community under the direction of Sabine Nebel took over the musical arrangement of the service. After the festive act, a drink was offered in the fountain courtyard of the former Germersheim monastery, during which the great importance of the bell for the community was celebrated. The new bells will not only create sound, but also identity and cohesion for the community.
How important bells are for the church community is also shown by the long path that bells have covered in human history. They have been part of human life for around 5,000 years and proclaim the Christian message on many occasions. Today, a new bell is more than just an instrument; It is a symbol of hope and togetherness, as maria-frieden-krefeld.de impressively demonstrates. This makes the new St. James Bell a promising part of the region's cultural heritage.