In the 17th century a glockenspiel was installed in St Catherine’s church in Danzig, consisting of 32 bells. In the year 1944 the glockenspiel or carillon was dismantled by the Nazis and transported to the area around Lübeck, where the bells were to be melted down. The Allied offensive rescued the bells from destruction, but St Catherine’s church itself was completely destroyed. Before the church could be rebuilt the bells were housed in St Mary’s church in Lübeck, where they remain until this day. The glockenspiel was never returned to the parish of St Catherine’s, largely due to the uneasy relationship which persisted between the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland. Although the political situation has now undergone a fundamental change, it would be difficult to demand the return of the bells, which the inhabitants of Lübeck have come to regard as their own. This is the background to the film, which explores a unique attempt to raise money in order to place new bells in the reconstructed St Catherine’s church in Danzig. After a brief historical introduction and a detailed description of the efforts to raise these funds, the film also features interviews with renowned donors.
Regie
Andrezej Soroczynski
Kamera
Ryszard Golc
Ton
Jan Kalisz
ProduzentIn
Regina Ziegler, Wytwornia Filmow Dokumentalynch
Genre
Documentary
Länge
30 min.