A huge bell, weighing exactly 9801 kg and 258cm in diameter, was unveiled in Prague on Sunday evening. It is a tribute to the exactly 9,801 bells that were stolen by the Nazis during WWII and melted down to be made into weapons. Photo: Martina Schneibergová, Radio Prague International The bell was conceived as a memorial to the 9,801 bells stolen by the Nazis during WWII from churches and bell towers all over Czechia, most of which have never been replaced. The last time such a large bell was seen in Prague was almost 500 years ago, when the Zikmund bell was cast for St. Vitus’ Cathedral. The new 187-cm tall bell was cast by the Austrian Grassmayr foundry and took half a year to make. Peter Grassmayr and his brother run the family business in Innsbruck. “There is an old part of the bell and a new part of the bell – it only looks that way, of course the whole bell is new. The part that looks old is meant to give the appearance of being made out of broken pieces of destroyed bells.”
via radio.cz: Giant bell rings out in tribute to thousands stolen by Nazis