Bergrivier, Wittewater Moravian Church

Abstract

Photographs of the bell of the Wittewater Moravian Church near Piketberg. Somewhat closer to Piketberg lies the Wittewater Moravian Church. Also this bell sits in a simple but attractive tower that fits in wonderfully with the neighbouring white church. The shoulder of the bell is decorated with a nice band that is repeated but in a much broader fashion on the sound bow. Also the lip of the bell is carefully decorated. Above the sound bow we find on one side of the bell the following inscription GEGOSSEN VON T.H.LEHMANN IN NEUWIED 1865 and on the other side, but in the middle of the waist of the bell PSALM 95. It is strange that the founder has used Psalm 95 rather than the beginning phrase of the psalm that would read “Hy is ons God en ons is sy volk”. The bell in Wittewater is definitely exclusive. The founder has been Theodor Lehmann who ran a bell-foundry in Neuwied in the period 1862 to 1879. The number of bells that escaped war casualties is very limited. For example, in 1871 Lehmann founded 3 new bells for the Freedom Church in Remagen, Germany. This happened from bronze that was recaptured from French canons that Germany gained after the French-German war of the 19th century. However, in 1917 the 3 bells were confiscated by the German military and turned into canons again. Up to now we have not succeeded in finding a single, operational bell from Lehmann in the whole of Germany.