Evang. Glockenturm

The Evangelical bell tower stands in Burgenland’s Walbersdorf quarter, beside the Catholic parish church. It occupies a small square plot in Berggasse, a quiet street in the town of Mattersburg. The tower is protected as a listed monument and is the only freestanding Evangelical bell tower in the region. Its origins lie in a dispute over ringing rights in 1789. The Catholic church controlled all the bells and refused to toll for Evangelical funerals. After years of negotiation the Evangelical community received two small bells totalling under eighty kilograms. In 1800 they built this plain classical tower opposite the Catholic church. The simple two-storey structure has rounded corners, pilaster strips and a semi-circular pediment above the east door. Inside, round-headed louvres and a small oval window light the upper chamber, capped by a swept pyramidal roof. The tower leans noticeably, a tilt blamed on soft ground near the nearby Wulka river. Visitors find a modest but striking landmark that still serves its original purpose. The leaning silhouette is visible from several streets, making it a local landmark. A fresh coat of paint and renewed roof and windows show the community’s care for the building. The tower’s inscription records the year 1800, and its bell still calls Evangelicals to prayer. It remains a quiet symbol of presence and continuity in the heart of Walbersdorf.