A bell has been used down the ages for multiple functions, from calling the faithful to prayer and announcing death to sounding the alarm during a fire and even calling someone to dinner,” says Elizabeth Grassmayr. Her family owns the historic Grassmayr bell foundry in Innsbruck, Austria, which has cast bells since 1599. Elizabeth has been my guide for three days past, showing me around Innsbruck; it’s hard to believe she’s 73, for she skis down mountain slopes and hikes up steep paths with the energy of a teenager.

We first visit the showroom, where Elizabeth shows me the special cup bells they make for orchestras and concerts to produce deeper tones. From small cowbells and singing bowls to large church bells, the store sells them all. A small Bell Museum attached to the foundry explains the evolution of bells since 3000 BC, when the first bell was said to be produced in China. But, intriguingly, Christians did not accept bells until the 2nd Century as they associated them with pagan traditions. I look reverentially at the beehive shaped bell that is more than one thousand years old and engraved with the words of the holy Trinity.

It was not until the 15th Century that the art of bell foundry progressed to produce bells that could strike specific tones, notes and melodies. Interestingly, during a war, church bells were believed to be converted into cannons and cast into bells again after the war ended. Decorative inscriptions on bells were meant to ward off evil powers or other dangers. Besides coats of arms, crosses and other symbols, the decorations included inscriptions such as ‘May peace be your first chime’.

“In times long ago, the casting of bells was done without any calculations and therefore their sounds were not so good,” says Elizabeth. The trick lies in the vertical section or ripple, which determines the shape of the bell and its tones. The ripple is mathematically divided into about twelve segments and each of these has a relation to the height and diameter. More than 19 different materials ranging from bricks, clay and charcoal to horse manure, yeast and beer go into the manufacture of bells. “The long and arduous process of casting a bell is preceded by a prayer at the moment of its casting, and when it is completed, in typical Austrian style, it is toasted with schnapps,” says Elizabeth.

The complicated manufacturing process involves casting double shells of clay and bricks, and pouring molten bronze into them. The all-important crown is made separately and fused with the rest of the bell. I watch as the workmen in the foundry break the clay structure to reveal the bell inside. After cleaning and polishing, a shiny new bell is ready. “Every bell is a unique production, with its own calculations and design, so the Chinese cannot copy it,” says Elizabeth with a smile. Last year, the foundry cast bells for orders from eight different religions, including Buddhist temples and an Indian ashram.

Markings on the museum floor indicate the diameters of some of the largest bells in the world, including the biggest of them all called the Czar Kolokol in Russia. I test the tone and pitch of bells in the Sound Room. Did you know, for instance, that a bell contains 50 different tones? You can strike the water bell and watch as the vibrations are transferred to water in the form of waves. The courtyard of the foundry houses several old bells, which are strikingly big and sturdy, and have survived adverse weather.

Elizabeth says the business has innovated with the changing times — her son does the calculations on computer and exports bells all over the world. Her grandchildren work at the factory during summer vacation. “It’s the oldest family business in Austria, everyone knows us, so we have to behave well,” she says, with a twinkle in her eye.

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