Die Glocke (The Bell) is a concert hall in the centre of Bremen, Germany. Standing on the site of a building from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, it was designed by Walter Görig (1885–1974) and completed in 1928. Its elegant

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

design and excellent acoustics have been praised by a number of artists including

Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan (; born Heribert Ritter von Karajan; 5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, wit ...

History

In the Middle Ages, the octagonal bell-shaped (hence its name) chapter house of the cathedral stood south of it on the Domsheide in the ''Dombezirk'', an enclave under the sovereignty and legal control of the cathedral. It was the venue for the meetings of the chapter and, from 1648, for the deliberations of the court. In 1737, a new octagonal building was constructed on the site, coming under the authority of the City of Bremen in 1803. From 1857, it belonged to the ''Künstlerverein'' (Artists Association). After a fire in 1915, the old ''Glocke'' building was demolished, making way for a new concert hall with the same name, designed by Walter Görig (1885–1974) and completed in 1928. Built of dark brick with limited use of stone, the building's imposing stepped gable faces the Domsheide while the facade overlooking the Grasmarkt has modestly designed oriel bays in deference to the cathedral. The building underwent comprehensive refurbishment between 1995 and 1997 when the architects Gerhard Müller-Mencken and Klaus Rosenbusch combined the need for preservation with the demands of a modern concert hall. While maintaining the hall's unique acoustics, they restored the original Art Deco finish and installed up-to-date technical equipment. The hall's elegant Art Deco design and excellent acoustics have been praised by a number of artists including the conductor

Anne-Sophie Mutter Anne-Sophie Mutter (born 29 June 1963) is a German violinist. She was supported early in her career by Herbert von Karajan. As an advocate of contemporary music, she has had several works composed especially for her, by Sebastian Currier, Henri ...

and

Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holo ...

. Karajan rated this hall as in the top three in Europe. The paintings by Karl Dannemann illustrating the ''Saga of the Bell'' in the restaurant date from the opening of the new building in the late 1920s.

Organ

The organ was built by

Wilhelm Sauer Wilhelm Carl Friedrich Sauer (23 March 1831 – 9 April 1916) was a German pipe organ builder. One of the famous organ builders of the Romantic period, Sauer and his company W. Sauer Orgelbau built over 1,100 organs during his lifetime, amongst ...

from

Frankfurt an der Oder Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

in 1928. It has 76 registers, four manuals and a pedal. In 2008, Christian Scheffer completed a major restoration, reconstructing the original pneumatic action, now electrically powered.

Presentations

In addition to classical concerts, Die Glocke is used for a variety of presentations including jazz concerts, cabaret, drama and lectures as well as special events for families and children. The large hall (''Großer Saal'') seats 1,400 while the small hall (''Kleiner Saal'') with 395 seats can also be used for receptions and meetings.

References

External links

Die Glocke website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glocke, Die Buildings and structures in Bremen (city) Culture in Bremen (city) Concert halls in Germany Buildings and structures completed in 1928 Art Deco architecture in Germany