Steeple ball

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Steeple ball on the Reichenturm [de] in Bautzen is located below the weathervane Turmkugel Reichenturm 100.JPG
Steeple ball on the Reichenturm  [ de ] in Bautzen is located below the weathervane
Steeple ball and traditional bird-shaped weather vane (Wetterhahn) on the church in Brensbach Wetterhahn Kirche Brensbach.jpg
Steeple ball and traditional bird-shaped weather vane (Wetterhahn) on the church in Brensbach

The steeple ball (also tower ball from German : Turmkugel) is a closed, typically rounded, capsule on the finial of many buildings in the German-speaking countries. A steeple ball is highly visible and hard to reach for repairs, so attention is paid to the quality of design, construction, and materials. The combination of durability and inaccessibility makes the steeple ball attractive for use as a time capsule. When roofs are renovated or replaced, new items (most often newspapers or coins) are added to the existing ones. [1]

Contents

Shiny and visible from many places in the city, capsules are also used as target points during geodetic surveying. [2]

Installing the steeple ball is one of the final steps in building or renovating a church roof. This event is often celebrated with a so-called Kugelfest. [3]

See also

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References

  1. "Kirchensanierung in Ohmenheim". www.schwaebische-post.de (in German). 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  2. Hoffmann, Gerd; Meurers, Heinrich; Nerkamp, Karl-Heinz (2010). Geschichte der Hamburger Triangulation - von ca. 1814 bis Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts (PDF) (in German). Hamburg: Landesbetrieb Geoinformation und Vermessung.
  3. Strupp, Silke (2019-07-03). "Kugelfest an der Evangelischen Kirche in Schladen". Wolfenbütteler Schaufenster (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-02.

Sources