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Royal Eijsbouts ( nl, Koninklijke Eijsbouts) is a
bell foundry Bellfounding is the casting and tuning of large bronze bells in a foundry for use such as in churches, clock towers and public buildings, either to signify the time or an event, or as a musical carillon or chime. Large bells are made by casting ...
located in
Asten, Netherlands Asten () is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands. It is home to the Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry and also a carillon museum. The spoken language is Peellands, an East Brabantian dialect. Population centres * Asten * Heusden ...
. The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15-year-old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which were cast at other foundries, with their clocks. As interest in carillons increased, Johan Eijsbouts purchased bells from two English foundries, John Taylor Bellfounders and
Gillett & Johnston Gillett & Johnston was a clockmaker and bell foundry based in Croydon, England from 1844 until 1957. Between 1844 and 1950, over 14,000 tower clocks were made at the works. The company's most successful and prominent period of activity as a be ...
, and installed them in carillons. In 1924, Johan's oldest son, Tuur Eijsbouts, joined the company. Tuur was technically minded and inventive. He took the initiative to learn how to cast bells himself. After years of experimentation, an in-house bell foundry was installed in 1947. The company is still recognized for their cast bells, which are used in
carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmonio ...
s and
church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and t ...
s. In 2006 Eijsbouts cast the largest swinging bell in the world. Royal Eijsbouts has been involved in extensive research programs in
campanology Campanology () is the scientific and musical study of bells. It encompasses the technology of bells – how they are founded, tuned and rung – as well as the history, methods, and traditions of bellringing as an art. It is common to collect ...
(the scientific and musical study of bells) for decades. Those efforts have resulted in computer applications with which all aspects of bell sound and bell shape can be accurately calculated. Besides bell casting, Royal Eijsbouts also manufactures custom made tower clocks and astronomical clocks of any size. They also operate an art foundry, using several techniques to cast sculptures and statues. In 2014 Notre Dame celebrated its 850th anniversary. On this occasion, it was decided to restore the bells of the cathedral to its former glory with a new set of bells. The order was given to the French foundry Cornille-Havard and Royal Eijsbouts in Asten, where the largest bell (Marie) was produced. The casting of Marie took place in Asten on September 14, 2012, in the presence of the bishops of
's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of t ...
, Hasselt and the archbishop of Paris. After inspection, the 6 ton heavy bell was put in a special truck to Paris. Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, dedicated on February 2, 2013, all newly cast bells that were exhibited until February 25 in the cathedral. The day after, the new bells were hung in the belfries. On March 23, thirty thousand listeners followed the first loud creations the renewed sound of Notre Dame.Asten klinkt in de Notre Dame
/ref> Also in 2014 Royal Eijsbouts acquired bell foundry
Petit & Fritsen Royal Bellfounders Petit & Fritsen, located in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands, is a former foundry, one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Netherlands, with the foundry dating back to 1660. Petit & Fritsen was a foundry that cast bells f ...
in
Aarle-Rixtel Aarle-Rixtel is a village in the Dutch municipality of Laarbeek in North Brabant. It lies about 4 km north of Helmond. Since the municipal reorganization of 1968 the castle Croy is part of Aarle-Rixtel. History Aarle was first mentioned ...
, their last Dutch competitor. Foundry activities in Aarle-Rixtel were terminated en re-allocated to Asten.


References


External links

*
St. John Cantius website
{{Bells Bell foundries Carillon makers Dutch companies established in 1872 Manufacturing companies established in 1872 Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the Netherlands