Alpinists remove dials from clockwork Martinitoren in Groningen

In Groningen, a start was made this morning to remove the dials of the four clocks of the Martinitoren. They are being taken down via ropes and accompanied by mountaineers.

“On the face of it, the hands still look pretty nice, but they are pretty atrophied,” tower manager Jan Pestoor told RTV Noord. Not only are the hands being removed, the numerals and clockworks are being dismantled and hoisted down.

Several dials of the Martinitoren refused service recently. An investigation by the municipality of Groningen revealed that the inner workings need to be repaired. “The shafts and gears are worn out after almost forty years,” the municipality reported earlier. New gold leaf will be applied to the dials and numerals. The existing lighting will be replaced with LED lights.

The mountaineers will not go back and forth via the rope themselves. Only the parts go down via a pulley with a remote control. The dismantling will take about a week. The parts will be repaired by a bell foundry in North Brabant.

In early May, the clocks will be reassembled on the four sides of d’Olle Grieze, as the Martinitoren is popularly called.

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