St. Petersglocke

Saint Peter's bell (orig. German: St. Petersglocke, referred to in the Kölsch dialect as Decke or Dekke Pitter and in common parlance as Dicker Pitter i.e. Fat or Big Peter) is the largest bell in Cologne Cathedral. It was cast in 1923 by Heinrich Ulrich in Apolda and hangs in the belfry of the south tower. With a weight of approximately 24,000 kg, a clapper weighing ~700 kg and a diameter of 322 cm, it is the largest (horizontally-mounted) freely-swinging ringable bell in the world.

The predecessor of the bell was the Emperor's Bell (orig. German: Kaiserglocke) or Gloriosa (Glorious) of 1875 which at 27,180 kg was even heavier than the St. Peter's bell. In 1918 it was melted down, because the sound was inappropriate to the rest of the peal. Its metal was used for war purposes.