Friedensglocke, Bell monument in Dessau-Roßlau, Germany

The Friedensglocke is a bell monument in Dessau-Roßlau made from repurposed weapons and mounted on blue-painted steel beams. It stands at the entrance of Ratsgasse opposite the town hall, serving as a visible landmark in the town center.

On 30 January 1990 the Dessau Round Table ordered the destruction of 1,250 AK-47 rifles, 174 light machine guns, 87 anti-tank weapons and 171 pistols collected from local combat groups. A PTS-M tracked vehicle of the Dessau-Alten pioneer regiment crushed them the next day; the scrap was cut up, sorted and melted in a Dessau iron foundry. The Kuratorium Friedensglocke Dessau, founded in 1997, raised funds, and the 4.2-tonne bell was cast in September 2000. It has hung at the Ratsgasse entrance since 9 November 2002.

The bell carries the slogans "Keine Gewalt" and "Ich läute für Frieden und Freiheit + Ohne Freiheit kein Frieden + Ohne Frieden keine Freiheit". It serves as a meeting point for peace prayers and other actions, notably during the Iraq War and the anti-Hartz demonstrations. The bell is rung by an electromechanical clapper.

The monument is easy to access as it sits in the town center near the town hall and is open to visitors at all times. You can walk around it freely and read the inscriptions from different angles.

The bell's metal came from 1,250 AK-47 rifles, 174 light machine guns, 87 anti-tank rifles and 171 pistols, crushed on 31 January 1990 by a PTS-M tracked vehicle of the Dessau-Alten engineer regiment. The scrap was then dismantled by hand, sorted by material and melted in a Dessau iron foundry.