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oa Bells in the Western Cape of South-Africa
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: Carillon and Bell Culture in the Low Countries, Volume 2, Issue 1, May 2023, p. 1 - 44
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- 01 May 2023
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Abstract
Due to its historical position as the earliest settlement, the Western Cape became the home of many heritage sites, including the home of many bells of historical interest tied to the home countries of its early immigrants. South Africa was fortunate to escape the ravages of the European wars where many bells were lost, and often rare bells are still found in the Western Cape. From 2008 onwards the authors systematically traced the location of bells, and over the last fourteen years visited and documented 500+ bells. These were visited in their current locations, measured acoustically and physically (where possible), photographed, and inventoried in a digital library at Stellenbosch University.
In this paper an overview is given of the more interesting bells in the inventory, discussed in their ties to the historical development of the Western Cape. These bells are found at mission stations, churches, farms, public buildings, and originate from a variety of countries and founders.