Poor Sinner's Bell

The poor sinner's bell is a bell in the city of Breslau, in the province of Silesia, Prussia, and hangs in the tower of one of the city churches. It was cast July 17, 1386, according to historic records. It is said that a great bell found of the place had undertaken to make the finest church bell he had ever made.

When the metal was melted, the founder withdrew for a few moments, leaving a boy to watch the furnace and enjoining him not to meddle with the catch that held the molten metal, but the boy disobeyed the caution, and when he saw the metal flowing into the mold he called the founder.

The latter rushed in and, seeing as he thought his work of weeks undone  and his masterpiece ruined, struck the boy a blow that caused his immediate death. When the metal cooled and mold was opened, the bell was found to be not only perfect, but of marvelous sweetness of tone.

The founder gave himself up to the authorities, was tried and condemned to death. On the day of his execution, the bell was rung to call people to attend church and offer a prayer for the unhappy man's soul, and from that it obtained the name of "the poor sinner's bell."