Paul Behrens
Encyclopedia
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
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Life
Behrens was the son of Paul Behrens sr, who himself had been a clockmaker in LübeckLübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
. Paul Behrens jr took over the management of the family company ("Uhrenhaus Behrens") in 1936 and remained at its helm until 1975.
Behrens is best known for his reconstruction of the peal of bells of St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
The Lutheran Marienkirche in Lübeck was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral...
in Lübeck and his creation of the new Astronomical Clock
Astronomical clock
An astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets.-Definition:...
in the same church (the original peal of bells and Astronomical Clock had been destroyed in the Bombing of Lübeck in World War II
Bombing of Lübeck in World War II
thumb|Joseph Krautwald's The MotherDuring World War II, the city of Lübeck was the first German city to be attacked in substantial numbers by the Royal Air Force. The attack on the night of 28 March 1942 created a firestorm that caused severe damage to the historic centre, the bombs destroying...
). He also ensured the financing of these initiatives and was able to give the completed clock to the church in 1967.
In the same year, the city of Lübeck awarded Paul Behrens the Ehrenplakette of the Senate, one of the honours in the gift of the Senate of Lübeck.