For more than 5,000 years, Bells People to inform them of the time or to warn them of severe weather. Bells are an integral part of Christianity: they call people to church services, accompany liturgical acts and are generally part of everyday life. Nevertheless, there are cases in which residents feel disturbed by the ringing of the bells.
For example, a resident’s complaint against the nightly ringing of the bells of the Linz Cathedral according to a Judgment of the Regional Court of Linz The resident who filed the injunction, who had purchased the property next to the cathedral in 2004, stated that his health was endangered by the bells of the church tower clock ringing every quarter hour between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. In the Judge’s verdict it states: “Even an average, reasonable buyer would have been aware of the noise pollution and the associated potential sleep disturbance or health impairment for sensitive people at the time of purchase of the property.”
Compromise found?
Similar case, different state: The Glockengeläut the Salzburg Parish Hernau disturbed a resident so much that he filed a lawsuit for an injunction. The plaintiff felt disturbed by the bells ringing every quarter of an hour. The legal representative of the archdiocese made it clear that the quarter-hour ringing was to be seen as local custom. Because: When it comes to emissions (noise, smoke, stench), it always depends on local custom, i.e. what applies to an average resident. The church argued that the building and church tower had been standing for 60 years. Now the dispute has been settled for the time being in the form of a compromise.
In future, only half and full hours will be struck, and the clock will stop striking at 8 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. A test phase has been agreed until September. If this solution is not sufficient for one side, the case will go to court.