Bartholomäusturm

The Bartholomäusturm stands on the western edge of Erfurt’s Anger square in Thuringia. A Gothic brick tower, it is the last remnant of St Bartholomew’s Church, which once filled the square. The church was first recorded in 1282 and rebuilt after a fire in 1291. Its tower rose between 1411 and 1448, and an organ by Andreas Eggemann was installed in 1511. After the Reformation the building passed to the Barfüßerkirche congregation but fell out of use by 1571. A fire in 1660 left the tower standing while the nave was demolished in 1715. The tower now houses a carillon of 60 bronze bells cast by Schilling in Apolda. Weighing a total of 13,626 kg, the largest bell alone is 2,393 kg. Installed in 1979, it was the GDR’s largest carillon at the time and remains Germany’s fifth-largest today. In 1992 the bells were reworked and a computerised mechanism added, allowing automatic playing three times daily. A carillonneur performs on special occasions, filling the square with music. Visitors climb the 35-metre tower to see the carillon and the bells in their oak frame. The reconstructed eight-sided spire and the surrounding Anger square offer views of Erfurt’s old town. The tower’s slate roof and stonework show traces of war damage repaired after 1945. Below, the pedestrian zone and nearby Barfüßerkirche church complete the historic setting.