Information about the object:
The sacred and historically significant Polish national shrine is associated above all with the relief of Vienna. It is also a place for the celebration of important anniversaries for Poland and the commemoration of the Polish victims of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp. Due to its location - the Kalenberg mountain offers a beautiful view of the centre of Vienna - the church is visited in large numbers by both Viennese and tourists from all over the world.

The bell was cast in 1713 by the imperial bellmaker Leopold Halil, commissioned by the Camaldolese abbey on Kahlenberg, and survives as the church's only bell. It weighs 650 kg and is 102 cm in diameter. It is a particularly significant example of the Baroque bell-foundry art of Vienna.

Completed works:
The aim of the project was to renovate the historic bell of St. Joseph's Church on Kahlenberg in Vienna.

Cracks had developed in the rib of the bell during use. Using a mobile crane, the bell was dismantled and then extracted from the church tower together with the steel yoke and fittings. Subsequently, a welding company carried out the restoration by vertical and horizontal welding of the crack, including welding of the punched area on the inside (the original wall thickness was retained, which should also preserve the original tonality), and a new oak yoke and bell heart were made. This work was carried out in accordance with the canons of the old bellmaker's art, ensuring an excellent sound. After the work was completed, the bell was re-installed on the church tower.

Funding: Programme of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage "Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad".

More about the project: https://polonika.pl

• Fundacja na Rzecz Polskiego Narodowego Sanktuarium na Kahlenbergu, realizacja w roku 2021.