Theewaterskloof, Genadendal, Museum

Abstract

Photographs and information on bells in the Genadendal Museum. The Genadendal Museum houses an enormous number of items that refer to the daily life of the inhabitants of the village. Among the items on display are a number of bells, mostly modest ship bells. There however is one item that is particularly interesting for the history of the Moravian Mission in Genadendal and vicinity. There are remains of a bell, forged by the same founder as the one of the two magnificent bells in the church tower. On one side is written GEGOSSEN VON FR. GRUHL IN KLEINWELKE BEI BAUTZEN while on the other side BEREA 1866. KOMT, LAAT ONS AANBIDDEN VOOR DEN HEER! PSALM 95, 6. The inscription on the bell indicates that the bell is even older than the oldest one in the main church. This is rather surprising for an outer mission station. It is not impossible that the main church had a bell even before the current Gruhl-bell of 1870 was installed. The bell used to hang in the Berea outer Mission station until it dropped from its position in the bell tower there. At the moment there hangs another bell.