Gertrude Stolz: Engraver of the Pummerin Bell at House of Austrian History

This feature focuses on Gertrude Stolz, an overlooked engraver whose significant contributions to the Pummerin bell in Vienna (1945-1952) are highlighted. The exhibition details her artistic training and her role in crafting the reliefs for the new Pummerin bell, emphasizing her work at the St. Florian bell foundry.

The content delves into the life and work of Gertrude Stolz (1928–1985), an artist whose contributions to the post-war history of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, particularly her work on the Pummerin bell, have largely faded from public memory. Following her studies at the School of Applied Arts in Graz and a specialization in steel cutting and engraving in Steyr, Stolz was instrumental in the artistic embellishment of the new Pummerin bell. A series of photographs from 1951 captures her meticulous work on the reliefs at the St. Florian bell foundry in Upper Austria. The Pummerin, besides its inscriptions, features figural depictions of the Immaculate Conception, scenes from the Siege of Vienna in 1683, and the 1945 cathedral fire. The artistic program was determined through a competition in 1950, with sculptor Franz Forster ultimately commissioned to adapt his design. After a failed first casting attempt in 1950, the second successful casting took place the following year. Gertrude Stolz departed from the foundry in 1952. The page also includes historical context about the bell's casting and its public presentation.