Even if the Pummerin is a youngster in bell terms, Peter Grassmayr, a 14th-generation bell-founder and the Austrian partner in the project, has no doubt about its destiny.

-- The new Pummerin bell was cast from metal of the old Pummerin in 1951. It has a diameter of 3.14 m, a height of 2.94 m and weighs 21.3 tonnes.

Europe's second-largest bell, nicknamed "Pummerin", is one of several famous bells across the continent being checked to determine their lifespans, and unlock the secret of the optimum chime.