Figural carillon celebrates its 10th birthday
Anniversary tour of the carillon engine room in the Old Town Hall Meeting point: Wednesday, 31 October, 3:30 pm, Judith Lucretia Portal New: The town hall guide for children - also online at www.chemnitz.de
The meeting point for curious visitors is at 15:30 on Wednesday, 31 October 2012 at the Judith Lucretia Portal at the Old Town Hall (Markt side). Afterwards, from 5 p.m., the initiators of the town's historical figural carillon, Heinz Skala and Klaus Kallmer, will give a review of the years from the beginning in 1997 to the inauguration in 2002 in the Marktstuben of the Ratskeller.
The history of the carillon: The old carillon was destroyed in the Second World War. In 1997, the idea was born to recreate a figurative carillon with the half-figures of Judith and Lucretia above the Renaissance portal of the Old Town Hall. The carillon with 25 bells was inaugurated in 2001 on the initiative of the Figural Carillon in the Old Town Hall Tower of Chemnitz Association, which was founded in 1998 with the support of numerous sponsors and supporters. Since then, the newly designed carillon has been ringing out over Chemnitz market square. One year later, in October 2002, the construction of the figure-playing installation was also completed. Since then, six bronze figures have completed and accompanied the carillon. Almost one metre tall, the Benedictine monk, bouncer, weaver, merchant, foundryman and rubble woman rotate daily at 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to the melody of the bells. The repertoire of the carillon in the tower of the Old Chemnitz Town Hall is always changed to coincide with the calendar change of the season and also during the Christmas period. The regular changeover of the carillon repertoire is realised by a company commissioned by the city. In total, over 60 song sequences in the groups of spring, summer, autumn, Christmas and winter songs are stored in the microelectronic control system for the carillon. These song sequences include well-known melodies such as "Freude schöner Götterfunken" (the European anthem), "Nun will der Lenz uns grüßen" (soon to be heard again). "Am Brunnen vor dem Tore", "Bunt sind schon die Wälder" and "Oh du fröhliche".
The figures on the carillon in the Old Town Hall symbolise stages in Chemnitz's history. They were created by sculptor Johannes Schulze from Plauen. The figures were cast by the Lauchhammer art foundry. In June 2004, the Figural Carillon was donated to the City of Chemnitz following a decision by Chemnitz City Council.
New: Town hall guide for children
For the first time, the City of Chemnitz has published a special city hall guide for children. The brochure explains in a child-friendly way which tasks are carried out in the town hall, who works in the town hall and what the city administration does.
In comic strip style, the figure of the Chemnitz tower guides children through the historic rooms of the town hall - the sounds of the figurative carillon are also explained - as well as through the contents of the booklet. The colourful brochure, which also contains interesting facts about the carillon, the wedding halls and the figure of Roland, is available from the information desk in the town hall on the market square. For the time being, 2000 copies have been printed.