Five years ago, the Maria Freienstein pilgrimage church received a new bell. This led to enormous health problems for a local resident and he therefore filed a lawsuit with the civil court in Leoben (Styria). An agreement failed on Wednesday.
Bells have been used in Christianity for more than 1,500 years. They are an integral part of church life and part of daily life for many people. But apparently ringing can endanger your health. Because residents continue to go to court and demand an injunction.
Like a roofer from the idyllic St. Peter-Freienstein in the Styrian district of Leoben. His home community not only has the beautiful parish church, but also the pilgrimage church Maria Freienstein, which towers high above the city. This was not a problem for a long time until the bells on the top of the mountain were replaced. And the new bell, which weighs several tons, is apparently louder than the three smaller bells before it.
“Migraine-like disorders”
While the old bells only rang ten times a year, they now ring every Saturday from 4:50 pm and every day from 12 noon for three minutes. Unreasonable for Helmut T. and his wife. “This causes migraine-like conditions,” he explains. And that is why the man from Upper Styria filed a lawsuit last September because attempts to reach an agreement with the diocese failed.
“I am already stigmatized. They call me the migraine idiot. But if it doesn’t bother you, it’s easy to talk,” he says. “The fact is that there is enormous health damage caused by noise pollution up to 92 decibels,” emphasizes lawyer Fiona List-Faymann, even though the measurements were only carried out by the plaintiffs.
“Such a high load is not physically possible,” says Franz Pötzelsberger, chairman of the parish council of St. Peter-Freienstein, who questions the measurement. “I really can’t imagine that,” emphasized the defendant’s lawyer, David Stocker-Schellander.
Distant comparison
The fronts are therefore quite hardened, and a comparison is clearly still far away. The defendant’s suggestion to stop calling on Saturday was not enough for the plaintiff, “even though it is a big step in the right direction,” said lawyer Fiona List-Faymann.
The plaintiff’s request to take additional structural measures to reduce noise pollution was again rejected by the defendants. David Stocker-Schellander said this would not be possible due to monument protection. The judge’s attempt to “find an amicable solution in the spirit of peaceful coexistence” failed after less than an hour.
The next step is for an appraiser to speak. “It must make clear whether the exposure can lead to health problems for the average person,” the judge said. “Subjective noise sensitivities cannot be taken into account,” she said. The plaintiff and defendant must each advance 2,000 euros. Once the outcome is clear, negotiations will continue.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
