Glockengießerhäuser

The Glockengießerhäuser stand beside the old Sacktor gate in Graz, once part of the city’s defences. The complex includes the former imperial foundry built in 1530 and altered in 1828. A steep gable roof and rectangular stone gate with ironwork from the same year remain visible. The foundry began under Emperor Ferdinand I to cast cannons for the frontier. By the 17th century it also became known for bells, a trade that grew until cannon work ended in the 18th century. After 1773 the site passed to Martin Feltl, whose family ran a successful bell foundry for four generations before closing in 1876. Today the buildings show the original imperial foundry and later alterations. The stone gate and wrought-iron wings date from 1828. The ensemble is protected as a historic monument and marks the end of Graz’s long bell-casting tradition.