Northern Suburbs, Bellville, Lutheran Church

Abstract

Like many other Lutheran churches, the Lutheran Church in Bellville houses three bells. Unfortunately, the bells hang in an awkward position, vertically, one above the other. Because of the lack of space, it has been impossible to read and photograph the inscriptions on the bells. 1. The upper bell is the smallest. It has been made in 1964 by the Schilling Foundry in Apolda, Germany. The same foundry was responsible for the bell in the Moravian Church in Goedverwacht. However, the founder from Heidelberg here is Franz-Peter Schilling, son of the founder of the Goedverwacht bell. The C bell is known under the name Auferstehungs-glocke or Sonntagsglocke. The inscription in the bell is in German and reads JESUS CHRISTUS HAT DEM TODE DIE MACHT ENOMMEN, 2 Tim. At the time when the church was looking for a set of three bells, it had offers from two founders, both in Germany. The first was the foundry F.W. Schilling whose offer is shown in one of the pictures. Also the Bochumer Verein made an offer but the church gave priority to the Schilling foundry. The adjoined picture shows two fragments of what is cast on the inscription band. 2. The second bell has been a gift from the Wynberg Lutheran Church when the latter church got a new bell in 1963. The background behind this gift and its inclusion in the bell tower with the other bells has been fully covered in Die Glocken unserer Kirche by Theodor and Magdalena Schwär. Unfortunately, we have no indications on the inscriptions on this bell. 3. The largest bell is a F bell, called the Taufglocke, and is also a Schilling bell. According to the information provided the inscription on the bell reads KOMMT HERZU, LASST UNS DEM HERRN FROHLOCKEN.