Temporary, relocated or defunct
European tower bell instruments

Some carillons and chimes in Europe were installed temporarily in expositions or fairs of various kinds.  Many of these were later reinstalled elsewhere.  Other carillons were relocated from their original places of installation for various reasons.  And some have been destroyed, stolen or otherwise lost, and were not replaced.  There are no data pages for such sites, so they cannot be indexed in the same manner as extant instruments.  Hence this page.

The lists below present, in appropriate orders, the original locations of such instruments, without distinction between traditional and non-traditional mechanisms.

NOTE:  This page includes sites in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, which for existing instruments are indexed separately.  There is a separate page of this type for the British Isles.

EXPOSITIONS:

Carillons known to have been part of various European exhibitions or expositions are listed in approximately chronological order, with links to their current locations when known:

1878
Exposition Universelle, Paris, France
The carillon built by Bollée of LeMans for the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Perpignan, was exhibited here before installation.

1923
Exposition Pasteur, Strasbourg, 67 Bas-Rhin (Alsace), France
The Causard foundry exhibited a 25-bell carillon of unknown weight.  Afterwards it was moved, but its destination is unknown.

1958
World's Fair, Brussels, Belgium
For this event, carillons were installed here by Petit & Fritsen (47 bells, in the Dutch Pavilion), Vanbergen (unknown number of bells, in unknown location), and Eijsbouts (unknown number of bells, in the Belgian Village).  All were removed after the Fair.
- Two octaves of the P&F carillon were temporarily installed at the Utrecht Industries' Fair (Netherlands) in 1959 (see below); the remainder went to Arnhem, Netherlands (St.Eusebiustoren).
- The Eijsbouts carillon was installed in the Belgian Monument at Amersfoort, Netherlands.
- The disposition of the Vanbergen carillon is unknown; it is identified in the database as 
        BRUSSELS - WF        : BELGIUM

(1959)
Utrecht Industries' Fair, Utrecht, Netherlands
(See under Relocations, below.)

So far, we have found no records of chimes being displayed at any expositions before installation in Europe.

RELOCATIONS:

Carillons which have been moved from their original city or structure of installation to another place are listed in order by city name, with links to their current locations when known:
(Uncertain), Douai, 59 Nord, France
The Paccard foundry supplied a 49-bell mobile carillon by 1981, and expanded it to 50 bells in 1989, but ownership was unclear.  In 2005 it was dismantled, and the bells were installed in the City Hall of Dordrecht, NL, apparently as an automatic carillon.

A.Schweitzer Memorial Tower, Libingen, Switzerland.
In 1967, a 60-bell carillon was installed by Petit & Fritsen; this was by far the largest and heaviest carillon in Switzerland.  In 1981-2, the carillon was moved to Chateaurenard, France, and in 1990 the bells were put into a traveling carillon for Papageno.  This traveling carillon was later sold, and is now based in Soest, Netherlands.  One bell mysteriously disappeared somewhere along the way; there are now only 59.

Utrecht Industries' Fair, Utrecht, Netherlands
Two octaves of the P&F carillon from the World's Fair (see 1958, above) were installed here in 1959.  In 1969, they were sold back to the manufacturer, and later went to Hulst, Netherlands. 
(Note that this was a permanent installation, not an exhibit.)

DEFUNCT:

Carillons which no longer exist (and were not replaced) are listed in order by city name:

Münster, Aachen, Germany
A 32-bell carillon, cast by Goulard Fils (Malmedy) in 1857, was destroyed by war in 1917.

Rathaus (City Hall), Allenstein, Germany (now Olsztyn, Poland)
In 1930, an unknown maker constructed a 30-bell fully-chromatic carillon with bass bell at F in the middle octave.  The bells were taken in World War II, and were not replaced.

St.Martin's Church, Annoeullin, 59 Nord, France
In 1903, Bollée installed a 23-bell carillon here (details unknown).  The bells were taken in World War I (1917), and were not replaced.

Abbey of St.Winoc, Bergues (St.Winoksbergen), 59 Nord, France
In 1628, an unknown founder installed (or completed) a 24-bell carillon, which no longer exists.  The details of the instrument and its actual disposition are unknown.

Reformirte Parochialkirche, Berlin, Germany
A 35-bell carillon, cast by Noorden & deGrave in 1714, was destroyed by bombing in 1943 (except for 2 bells which now swing).

Church, Bouchain, 59 Nord, France
In 1758, Corsin (Lille) cast a 37-bell carillon, which was destroyed in World War I.  William Gorham Rice, writing in 1925, evidently thought that this instrument was being repaired; but no further evidence of such work has come to light.

St.Nicholas Church, Brussels, Belgium
By 1642, the city-owned 38-bell carillon installed here by unknown founder(s) was the largest in the Low Countries.  In 1662 it was replaced with 38 bells by François Hemony; that carillon was destroyed by war in 1695.  In 1714, a new carillon of the same size was installed in the rebuilt tower by Witlockx & de Haze (10 basses by Willem Witlockx + 28 trebles by Melchior de Haze), but that was destroyed in July of the same year when the tower collapsed.  This site is identified in the database as 
        BRUSSELS - STN       : BELGIUM
Broodhuis, Grote Markt, Brussels, Belgium
The fourth city-owned carillon, of 49 bells and rather light weight, was installed here by Causard in 1895; it proved to be entirely unsatisfactory, and was removed in 1898.  This site is identified in the database as 
        BRUSSELS - B         : BELGIUM

Town Hall, Calais-Sud (Saint-Pierre), 62 Pas-de-Calais, France
A 25-bell carillon installed in 1925 by Paccard was destroyed in World War II.

S.Niklaaskerk, Diksmuide, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
A 32-bell carillon of unknown date and origin was destroyed by war in 1914.

Collegiale, Dinant, Namur, Belgium
In 1930, Slegers-Causard installed a 35-bell carillon as a replacement for a smaller automatic-only instrument (origin and age unknown) which had been taken or destroyed in World War I.  The new carillon was in turn stolen in 1943.

(Unknown), Genshagen, Germany
A carillon or chime of unknown size, cast by J.A. deGrave in 1717, was probably destroyed in World War I. 

Sint-Baafskathedraal, Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
In 1540, this tower had a 10-bell chime.  By 1636, the instrument had been expanded to 31 bells.  In 1724, most of them were replaced to form a carillon of 41 bells.  But by 1797, it was inoperable, and in 1803 almost all of the carillon bells were sold.  What remains is two great bells from 1636, two other bells from 1725, and three modern bells.

Walther-werke, Grimma, Leipzig, Germany
A 42-bell carillon, of unknown origin, was cast in 1936 but was stolen before it was installed.

St.Michaelskirche, Hamburg, Germany
A 32-bell carillon was cast by VanAerschodt (date unknown).  It was destroyed by war in 1917.

St.Petrikirche, Hamburg, Germany
A carillon of unknown size was supplied by FrançoisHemony in 1664, and was destroyed by fire in 1842.  In 1887 it was replaced with 40 bells by VanBergen; that carillon was destroyed by war in 1917.

Traveling Carillon, Heiligerlee, Limburg, Netherlands
This carillon, of unknown size and age, was made by Vanbergen, possibly for use as a public relations tool.  Presumably the bells (or the whole instrument) were sold before the foundry closed in 1980, though their destination is unknown. This site is identified in the database as 
        HEILIGERLEE - Mobile : NETHERLANDS

Vanbergen Foundry, Heiligerlee, Limburg, Netherlands
In 1968, a lightweight carillon of 37 bells (three octaves fully chromatic) was installed by Vanbergen in an open-frame tower at the bellfoundry.  Presumably the bells were sold before the foundry closed in 1980, because the empty tower was later photographed; their destination is unknown. This site is identified in the database as 
        HEILIGERLEE - VB/1   : NETHERLANDS

(Unknown), Kruesinsee, Germany
A 53-bell carillon was cast by Schilling in 1940 but was never delivered; its disposition is unknown, and this place has not been located.

Liebfrauenstift, Mainz, Germany
A small carillon of unknown size, cast by F.Hemony in 1660, was destroyed by war in 1792.

Benedictine abbey church, Maredsous, Namur, Belgium
This place has never had a chime or carillon.  But it does have a derelict console for a 23-bell carillon; this was built (or acquired) in 1943 as part of an unsuccessful plot to prevent the authorities of the German occupation from taking the bells.  There is an ACW article on the 6-bell peal here, with a photo of the console accompanying the story.  See also our entry for the great bell here.

Church, Merville, 59 Nord, France
A 37-bell carillon of unknown date and origin was destroyed in World War I.  William Gorham Rice, writing in 1925, evidently thought that this instrument was being restored; but no further evidence of such work has come to light.

Convent, Mont-Saint-Odile, France
A carillon of unknown date and size was taken during World War II. 

Église de la Vierge, Montaigu, Belgium
In MNTG, deSany's survey reported a 33-bell carillon here, which he described as being the second-largest in the LowCountries.  Its origin and eventual disposition are unknown, as is the location of this town.

Anscharkirche, Neumunster, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
A carillon of unknown origin and description was destroyed in World War II.

St.Peter Church, Riga, Latvia
In 1694, C.Fremy constructed a 28-bell carillon of unknown weight.  It was destroyed by fire in 1721, and was not replaced.

Beurs (Bourse), Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Netherlands
In 1660, a carillon of 27 bells was made by Hemony for the Stadhuis (City Hall).  In 1829, it was moved from the Stadhuis to the Beurs.  It was destroyed by bombing on 14 May 1940.  This site is identified in the database as 
        ROTTERDAM - B        : NETHERLANDS

Sint Josefskerk (or Heuvelsekerk), Tilburg, Netherlands
In 1925, Gillett & Johnston delivered a 37-bell carillon based on D in the middle octave, probably replacing an older instrument of which little is known.  These bells were installed by Eijsbouts (not yet a bellfounder), and then were stolen in 1943.  This site is identified in the database as 
        TILBURG - STJ        : NETHERLANDS

Bourse, Tourcoing (Toerkonje), 59 Nord, France
A 28-bell carillon of unknown weight was supplied by Wauthy in 1912, but was taken in 1917.

Druckerei Hohn, Ulm, Germany
A 23-bell carillon, of unknown origin, was destroyed in World War II.

Belfry, Valenciennes, 59 Nord, France
An ancient 30-bell carillon of unknown origin was partially destroyed when the belfry collapsed in 1843; the remainder survived until 1914.

(Unknown), Ysselmonde, Netherlands
In 1925, William Gorham Rice (a usually reliable source) reported the existence of a carillon in this place, giving the name of the carillonist and the recital schedule.  This town cannot now be identified, though there is a Dutch island named IJsselmonde.  Until the mystery is solved, this entry will remain.

(Unknown), Zeitz, Germany
A 28-bell carillon, cast by an unknown founder in 1934, does not survive; its disposition is unknown.

Chimes and chime-sized instruments which no longer exist (and were not replaced) are listed in order by city name:

St.Martin Church, Bergues, France
A 12-bell chime, cast by Esquelbecq in 1586, does not survive; its disposition is unknown.

Ev.Luth.Kirche, Spiekeroog, Nieder-Sachsen, Germany
A 9-bell chime, cast by Bachert in 1962, had disappeared by 1977.

NOTE: Sites for which no database identification is listed are the only ones in their respective cities in the database.  Thus their identification follows the standard model.

Return to Indexes to tower bell sites in Europe.

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This page was created 2006/04/19 and last revised 2010/06/12. .

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