Pummerin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pummerin ("Boomer") is the name of the two largest bells in the history of the Stephansdom in Vienna.

[edit] Old Pummerin

The Old Pummerin was originally cast in 1711 from cannons captured from the Muslim invaders in the Second Turkish Siege of Vienna, and was installed in the high south tower of the cathedral.

A photo of it in place shows that the Old Pummerin was not a swinging bell, and its 22,500 kg (49,600 lb) weight was usually borne by wooden rails on which its lip rested. When it was to be rung, the rails had to be lowered away from it by turning jackscrews, and then eight men pulled on the two ropes attached to its heavy clapper.

The Old Pummerin was destroyed in a fire at the end of World War II on April 12, 1945 when its wooden cradle burned through and the bell crashed onto the stone floor of the south tower.

[edit] New Pummerin

The new Pummerin was cast (partly from the Old Pummerin's metal) in St. Florian, Upper Austria and completed on 5 September 1951. It was brought to Vienna in 1952 and installed in the much shorter north tower on 5 October 1957. It is officially named for St. Mary.

At 20,130 kilograms (44,380 pounds), the new Pummerin is the largest bell in Austria and the second largest swinging bell in Europe (after the 23,500-kilogram (51,810-pound) Peter in Cologne Cathedral). The new bell has a diameter of 3.14 meters (10 ft 4 in) and was a gift from the province of Upper Austria. It sounds on only a few special occasions such as high catholic holidays and at the beginning of the New Year, when it is broadcast on national television.