Peace Palace carillon in The Hague

Throughout the year, the Peace Palace carillon in The Hague is played every Tuesday and Thursday from 13.00 to 13.45 hours. There are listening spaces available on the benches at the square (Carnegieplein) before the Peace Palace.

Peace Palace carillon
The Peace Palace in The Hague has two towers. Several committed individuals and organizations have eventually made it possible to also place a carillon with 47 bells in one of towers. The last bell was donated in 2013 during the centenary celebrations of the Peace Palace. This carillon is strictly a concert instrument, as it does not function as an indicator of the time of day. The carillon is owned by the Carnegie-Foundation, but the Hague Carillon Foundation organizes for it to be played. The free concerts are given by several carillonneurs on Tuesday and Thursday from 13.00 – 13.45 hours.

Carillon culture
Bells have been used for centuries by ecclesiastical and secular governing bodies for all kinds of signals to the inhabitants of cities and villages. Clockworks provided with a bel land a clock-face indicated the time of day. In the Low Countries the custom arose to have time-indicating bell peals preceded by a brief melody on a number of small bells. This series of small bells expanded over time. This led to the carillon, being played not only automatically but also by means of a baton keyboard, played at specific times by a professional musician. From the fifteenth century onwards, throughout the centuries, The Hague also took part in this devellopment, influenced by the counts’ court. Nowadays The Hague holds an almost unique position within the carillon culture of the Low Countries. During the whole year seven concerts are given in the course of each week, divided among three towers, each with an instrument with a character of its own: the tower of the Great Church in the city center, of the Old Church in Scheveningen by the sea, and the tower of the Peace Palace.