Bell grant in Ramersdorf – residents argue with pastor: “bell terrorist”

Created: 08/02/2022, 22:01

By: Carmen Ick-Dietl

Resident Peter Friedrich is bothered by the frequency and volume of the carillon in Maria Ramersdorf.

© Markus Goetzfried

Residents in Ramersdorf are annoyed by the ringing of the bells of the pilgrimage church.

The pastor is surprised and doesn't want to change anything about the ringing order.

Munich-Ramersdorf – Peter Friedrich recently moved to Aribonenstrasse in the center of Ramersdorf.

And he's already annoyed.

Not from the noise of the Mittlerer Ring and the Salzburg Autobahn exit next door.

No, "the church is so loud".

What is meant is the ringing of the bells of Maria Ramersdorf, one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage churches in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

“We have a pastor who loves bells,” he says.

Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., “full tank, with everything that’s hanging up there, tinkles” several times.

Residents insult the pastor of Maria Ramersdorf as a "bell terrorist"

In his environment there are old people, children, nurses and police officers working in shifts, they all suffer from the excessive ringing of bells.

An attempt to speak to the pastor failed.

"He called me the Antichrist and forbade me to enter the parish in the future," says Friedrich.

He is a Catholic and goes to church regularly, he emphasizes.

But now he is asking the city for support so that the ringing of the bells is reduced.

Local residents and community members confirm the statements.

"He's daring," he says appreciatively.

You don't want to be named yourself, you still have to get along with the pastor.

"We know his reactions, he doesn't tolerate any contradiction," says a woman.

The pastor is a real "bell terrorist", says another.

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Residents in Ramerdorf fear even more tinkling: Pastor reacts outraged – "Some jack of all trades"

Video conferences in the home office are not feasible for residents, conversations have to be interrupted.

"It's really horrible." In the past, there wasn't so much tinkling, according to long-time residents.

"Two minutes at most and only with one bell." But since the end of the renovation of the pilgrimage church in 2018, it has increased massively.

A neighbor warns that things are about to get much worse.

Because from August 15th to September 14th is the woman's thirties, the most important pilgrimage time of the year for Maria Ramersdorf.

There are additional festivals and daily pilgrimage services.

The bell rings loudly for them, often several times at ten-minute intervals.

Pastor Harald Wechselberger is outraged by a request for comment.

"Just because some jack-of-all-trades pulls up and complains, I have more important things to do." In addition, the ringing order had not been changed.

"And as long as I'm here, I won't change it for a second." In the end, Wechselberger sends: "I wish anyone who wants to make a contribution to Maria Ramersdorf dying, I wish God's blessing for the future." Friedrich has meanwhile sent a request for help to the cardinal.