(ZENIT News / Kelheim, 05.14.2024).- The Higher Regional Court of Nuremberg has ruled that a man from the Kelheim district in Lower Bavaria must endure the sound of the clock and bells of the local Catholic parish church. This ruling, announced last Tuesday, May 7, upholds the previous judgment of the Regensburg regional court, against which the plaintiff had filed an appeal.
The church bells ring to mark liturgical events and also to signal the passage of time, chiming every quarter-hour between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The affected resident argued that this noise constituted intolerable acoustic pollution that was affecting his health.
However, the Regensburg regional court, based on a noise measurement report, determined that the duration and frequency of the bell sounds did not exceed reasonable limits. Additionally, factors such as local tradition and the fact that the plaintiff moved into the house a few years ago, fully aware of the church’s existence, which has been there for 125 years, were taken into account.
The Higher Regional Court of Nuremberg supported this decision, stating that the plaintiff must tolerate the ringing of the bells in this particular case. Thus, the ruling of the Regensburg regional court becomes legally binding.
This verdict underscores the importance of local customs and community coexistence in historical settings. The parish church, over a century old, continues to play a central role in the life of the Kelheim community, and its bell tower, although considered bothersome by some, serves as a constant reminder of the rich cultural and religious heritage of the region.
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