The Perlach Tower, Augsburg’s landmark, has long been in need of renovation. Now the city has to stop ringing the bells for security reasons. From April 25th, the hourly strike and the carillon will no longer be played until further notice, the structural damage to the building is too great. A restart is therefore only possible after the renovation – although it is not even clear when this will take place at all.
The Perlachturm has been closed to visitors since 2017 because the stone is crumbling. At the end of last year, it turned out that the damage at the top of the tower was significantly greater than previously assumed. The city therefore had protective scaffolding erected on the sidewalk and fish market at the tower so as not to endanger passers-by. This protective scaffolding is now to be dismantled, instead the top of the tower is secured directly with a protective net. Work on this will begin on April 25th and is expected to last two days. At the same time the ringing of the bells is stopped.
In order to cover the costs for the desired renovation, the notoriously cash-strapped Augsburg applied for grants from the federal funding program “National Urban Development Projects” and submitted project outlines last year. However, according to the city, the selection of the projects has been delayed due to the preparation of the 2022 federal budget. The town hall is expected to receive news in June on how the renovation of the tower can continue.