6.1 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomical clock | 6/7 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_clock | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T09:40:22.228447+00:00 | kb-cron |
A group of interior astronomical clocks of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries in churches of Hanseatic League towns in northern Germany, known as the Hanseatic clocks (the group also includes the clock at Gdańsk, now in Poland). Bad Doberan. At Doberan Minster, an astrolabe clock was installed by Nikolaus Lilienfeld in 1390. Only the dial survives, now positioned above the west door. Lübeck. The astronomical clock of St. Mary's Church, constructed 1561–1566, was destroyed in the bombing of Lübeck in 1942. The present clock is a replacement by Paul Behrens, installed in 1967. Münster. The Münster astronomical clock of 1540 in Münster Cathedral, adorned with hand-painted zodiac symbols, which traces the movement of the planets, plays a glockenspiel tune every noon. Rostock. The Rostock astronomical clock in St. Mary's Church dating from 1472, built by Hans Düringer. Clock with daily time, zodiac, moon phases, and month. With a dedicated electronic database this clock is particularly well documented. Stendal. At St. Mary's Church, an astronomical clock of the 1580s, rebuilt in 1856 (and vandalized by the clockmaker), and restored in 1977. Stralsund. The astronomical clock in St. Nicholas' Church is an astrolabe clock installed by Nikolaus Lilienfeld in 1394. It has not been in working order since the 16th century. Tangermünde. At St. Stephen's Church, Tangermünde, an astronomical clock of the 2023 built by Volker Schulz and Thomas Leu. Wismar. The 15th-century astronomical clock in St. Mary's Church was destroyed by bombing in 1945. A group of 16th-century clocks on the facade of town halls in southern Germany, which have a 12-hour dial, a moon phase indication, and a calendar dial indicating the positions of the sun and moon in the zodiac, with a dragon hand: Esslingen am Neckar. The Clock of Esslingen Old Town Hall, constructed 1581–1586. Heilbronn. The Kunstuhr of Heilbronn Town Hall of Isaac Habrecht, installed 1579–1580. Tübingen. The clock of Tübingen Town Hall, installed in 1510. Ulm. The 16th-century astronomical clock of Ulm Town Hall has a 24-hour astrolabe format, although the zodiac is repeated as a rotating ring of gold sculptures, and the outer ring of the dial is a 12-hour chapter ring. Cologne. At the Cologne Planetarium, a modern astronomical clock which shows the hour in regular and sidereal time, the moon phase, positions of the sun and moon in the zodiac, and the rotation of the earth according to the geocentric model. Esslingen am Neckar. At the headquarters of Festo, Professor Hans Scheurenbrand has constructed the Harmonices Mundi (named after Kepler's book of the same name), which consists of an astronomical clock, a world time clock, and a 74 bell glockenspiel. Görlitz. Görlitz Town Hall and the Church of St Peter and St Paul both have 16th-century clocks which indicate the lunar phase. Munich. The Old Town Hall and the Deutsches Museum both have clocks which indicate the moon phase on a rotating ball, and the zodiac on a fixed ring within a 12-hour dial. Schramberg. The Town Hall has an astronomical clock installed in 1913. Its indications are similar to the clock of Ulm (except that the outer hour ring is 24-hour), with an offset astrolabe ring repeated as a golden zodiac ring. Stuttgart. A modern clock in the tower of Stuttgart Town Hall shows the moon phase and the day of the week. Worms. The clock tower Worms Town Hall has a modern calendar dial that shows the month, the positions of the sun and moon in the zodiac, the moon phase, and has a dragon hand.
=== Hungary === Székesfehérvár: A modern astronomical clock with automata and carillon, at the Clock Museum.
=== Italy ===
Arezzo. The clock of the Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici, installed in 1552, shows the moon phase and age. Bassano del Grappa. 24-hour dial with zodiac indication on the Palazzo del Municipio, first installed in 1430, reconstructed by Bartolomeo Ferracina in 1747. Brescia. Astronomical clock dated c. 1540–1550 in the Torre dell'Orologio. Clusone. Fanzago's astronomical clock at the Palazzo Comunale, built by Pietro Fanzago in 1583. Cremona. The 16th-century astronomical clock of the Torrazzo, the bell tower of Cremona Cathedral, is the largest medieval clock in Europe. Macerata. An astronomical clock installed in the Torre Civica, a modern replica of the original clock of 1571, which shows the orbits of the planets. Mantua. Astronomical clock was installed in 1473 in the Torre dell'Orologio of the Palazzo della Ragione. Merano. Clock tower at the entrance to Merano town cemetery, installed in 1908 by Philipp Hörz of Ulm, with a calendar dial showing the month, zodiac, and moon phase. Messina. The Messina astronomical clock in the tower of Messina Cathedral. Multi-dial clock equipped with complex automata. Constructed between 1930 and 1933 by the Ungerer Company of Strasbourg. It is one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world. Padua. 15th-century astronomical clock in the Torre dell'Orologio. Rimini. The clock tower on Piazza Tre Martiri has a calendar dial installed in 1750 showing the date, zodiac, and moon phase and age. Soncino. 24-hour dial with zodiac indication in the town hall. The terracotta zodiac dial dates from 1977. Trapani. Astronomical clock of 1596 in the Porta Oscura, with a dial for the hours and the zodiac, and a lunar dial. Venice. St Mark's Clock, in the clocktower on St Mark's Square, was built and installed by Gian Paulo and Gian Carlo Rainieri, father and son, between 1496 and 1499.
=== Japan === Tokyo: The Shinjuku I-Land clock tower features a clock face that is an exact replica of Prague's astronomical clock. On the other side of the tower is a more conventional analog clock face featuring a rotating planisphere disc that shows the current constellations seen in the night sky over Japan.
=== Latvia === Riga: The clock on the facade of the House of the Blackheads shows the time, date, month, day of the week, and lunar phase.