Austria’s 16th century bell foundry adds modern technology to keep the casting process alive

Austria’s 16th century bell foundry adds modern technology to keep the casting process alive 1 of 6 | Founded more than 400 years ago, the Grassmayr bell foundry (Bell Foundry Grassmayr) in Innsbruck has survived wars, famines and recent economic challenges (AP video shot by Philipp Jenne). 2 of 6 | Workers cast bronze bells at the 400-year-old, family-owned Grassmayr bell foundry in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 3 of 6 | An employee works on the inside of a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 4 of 6 | Employees use a melting furnace at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 5 of 6 | Mathias Rentzsch secures a bracket on a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 6 of 6 | An employee inspects a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 1 of 6 Founded more than 400 years ago, the Grassmayr bell foundry (Bell Foundry Grassmayr) in Innsbruck has survived wars, famines and recent economic challenges (AP video shot by Philipp Jenne). Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 6 | Workers cast bronze bells at the 400-year-old, family-owned Grassmayr bell foundry in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 2 of 6 Workers cast bronze bells at the 400-year-old, family-owned Grassmayr bell foundry in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 6 | An employee works on the inside of a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 3 of 6 An employee works on the inside of a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 6 | Employees use a melting furnace at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 4 of 6 Employees use a melting furnace at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 6 | Mathias Rentzsch secures a bracket on a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 5 of 6 Mathias Rentzsch secures a bracket on a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 6 of 6 | An employee inspects a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 6 of 6 An employee inspects a bell at the 400-year-old family-owned bell foundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Innsbruck, Austria (AP) — Wearing protective gear to shield from the extreme heat of molten bronze, workers at one of the last bell foundries in Europe are casting bells weighing several tons.One after another, the artisans carefully pour the molten metal into special-shaped molds held together with steel bands to create 12 bells for churches in Italy, Germany and Romania.Founded in 1599, the Grassmayr bell foundry, in Innsbruck, western Austria, has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic challenges.These days, the family business is run by brothers Johannes and Peter Grassmayr. During the Renaissance in the late Middle Ages there were hundreds of bell makers in Europe, while today only a handful remain across the continent.The Grassmayrs’ secret to success: tenacity combined with innovation such as 3D-printing, scanning, lasers and computer simulation apps. “Certain things are just like they were 400 years ago. But we innovated a lot. Especially within the last 20 years, we’ve changed a lot,” Johannes Grassmayr told The Associated Press.The production cycle for making a bell takes three to four months. In the past cleaning a freshly cast bell and polishing it made up 30% of total production time. Nowadays, with the help of modern tools, that process takes only a tenth of the time.Grassmayr keeps some of its most innovative production steps a secret, such as a special chamber in which the bells are cleaned with a high-pressure sandblaster, not to mention the special apps used to calculate the sound of each particular bells.