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More than 2,000 residents campaigned against the limits on the
250-year-old Protestant Reformed Church in Waedenswil, near
Zurich, after a legal spat broke out three years ago.
An unnamed couple who lived closed to the church had sought a
halt to the hourly and quarter-hourly clangs between 10 pm and 7
am. They also wanted the early morning ringing to be delayed
from 6am to 7am, which the church voluntarily agreed to.
A local court in 2015 granted their demand to halt the
quarter-hourly chimes but kept the hourly beats. The restriction
was not implemented after local parishioners and the town
council took their appeal to the Federal Supreme Court in
Lausanne.
The court struck out the restriction on Wednesday, saying
reducing the number of night time chimes would not have a
significant effect on quality of life, while the nightly
clanging was firmly rooted in Waedenswil's culture and part of
the local tradition.
"We are delighted with this decision, not just for us, but for
the town and the whole community," said Peter Meier, a member of
the church's council.
"The bells are an important part of the town's feeling of home,
and have long given a rhythm to people’s lives here."
He said he was pleased an independent survey which showed that
79 percent of people in Waedenswil were not disturbed at all by
the sound of bells in the night had been recognized by the
court.
"We are celebrating the church's 250th anniversary this year,
and this is a very nice present to not have this hanging over us
any more," he said.
(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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