Christophe Unkelhäusser is a man with many interests and staying power. Active at Radio Ara for 30 years, he has written an encyclopaedia of the local music scene, works with marginalised social groups and is interested in history, archaeology and ... bell casting.
"Den Unki ass en Gudden." That's what they say in unison when they talk about Christophe Unkelhäusser, whom everyone just calls Unki. He is best known for the radio programme Bloe Baaschtert, which he initiated and which is exclusively dedicated to the Luxembourg music scene, and which has been on Radio Ara since 1998.
In recent days, however, Unkelhäusser's name has also come up in connection with the production of a so-called beehive bell for the currently orphaned bell tower of the church in Stolzembourg – a matter close to Unki's heart.
Leaving something for posterity
Unkelhäusser, who has lived in the idyllic village above Vianden since 2010, was able to enthuse a large part of the villagers for this undertaking, as we discovered during our visit two days before the planned bell casting. The idea of making a bell from copper and tin for the first time in Luxembourg using the method of a Benedictine monk from the 12th century goes back to Unki, as Stolzembourg used to be closely connected to copper mining through its former copper mine.
After the work of making the bell had already begun at the end of June in Stolzembourg, and the interested public had the opportunity to follow the making of the bell in all its individual steps on site the whole time, the actual casting of the bell was supposed to take place on the eve of the Assumption of Mary, but could not be completed after all, because the required temperature of 1,100 degrees was not reached.
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