Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry
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Royal Eijsbouts (Dutch: Koninklijke Eijsbouts) is a bell foundry located in Asten, Netherlands.
The workshop was founded in 1872 by Bonaventura Eijsbouts as a "factory for tower clocks." In 1893 Eijsbouts was joined by his 15 year old son, Johan, and the workshop expanded to begin supplying striking and swinging bells, which were cast at other foundries, with their clocks.
As interest in carillons increased, Johan Eijsbouts purchased bells from two English foundries, John Taylor Bellfounders and Gillett & Johnston, and installed them in carillons.
In 1924, Johan's oldest son, Tuur Eijsbouts, joined the company. Tuur was technically-minded and inventive. He took the initiative to learn how to cast bells himself. After years of experimentation, an in-house bell foundry was installed in 1947.
Increased experience and expertise in bell founding over the next twenty years led to great increases in the quality of the bells being made, and when the company celebrated its centennial in 1972, it was awarded the designation "koninklijke" (royal) on the grounds of its reputation for quality and reliability. The company is still recognized for the outstanding quality of their cast bells, which are used in carillons and church bells. In 2006 Eijsbouts made the largest bell in the world.
Royal Eijsbouts has been involved in extensive research programs in campanology (the art of bell manufacturing) for decades. Those efforts have resulted in state of the art computer applications with which all aspects of bell sound and bell shape can be accurately calculated.
Besides bell casting, Royal Eijsbouts also manufactures custom made tower clocks and astronomical clocks of any size. They also operate an art foundry, using several techniques to cast sculptures and statues.
