“If you are also bothered by the bells, please send a message to the municipality.” That call is on flyers that have been distributed in the area around the world-famous Amsterdam Westertoren. Local residents react angrily: “There are always complaints from people from outside.” But there is also understanding: “Glad that action is being taken by local residents.”
The flyer, which caused a lot of outrage on social media today, calls on residents of the Jordaan to share ‘their concerns’ about the bells of the Westertoren with the municipality. “So that we can all enjoy the beauty of the cathedral without the nuisance of noise,” it reads.
Should the Westertoren be silenced at night? “I would think that would be a shame. It is a fantastic sound,” says a man who received the flyer. “The sound of the Jordaan would disappear. That should never happen, this is the Jordaan,” she says, visibly emotional. “I just can’t understand why people complain about such a beautiful and noble sound.”
Concept
But not all local residents are against the message on the flyer. “I have two small children and the noise can be quite disturbing,” says a resident who recently lived opposite the Westertoren. “But I also understand that it is a tradition. Of course, it has been like that for hundreds of years.”
Shocked
The local resident who distributed the flyer did not realize how sensitive the topic is to the people of Amsterdam, she left it in the Telegraph know that she is shocked by the many angry reactions.
We tried to contact you a number of times, but the phone is now switched off. It is not the first time that the municipality has received complaints about the tower, but so far they have not led to a decision to stop the bells.