Interesting places

The bell tower in Pracze is the most characteristic building of the village, a unique monument of traditional village architecture. It was built in half-timbered technology (the so-called half-timbering, from German Fachwerk), where the wooden frame of the walls was filled in with bricks.
Inside the belfry is a wooden structure for the bell of massive beams, also stabilising the walls. The date engraved on one of the beams points to 1846 as the time when the belfry was erected in its present form, although its history is probably longer. Indeed, the inscription on the bell informs us that it was founded by Joachim Wilhelm von Maltzan as early as 1720, and that it was renovated in 1906.
The bell tower, which is part of the "Frog's Corner" farm, has served the inhabitants of Prač in their everyday life and at important moments over the centuries. In German times, the bell set the rhythm of work in the fields, signalling the farmers' lunch break. It announced farewells to the dead when they were being taken to the cemetery. It was used to summon help in the event of a fire. Today, the bell is rung on Sundays and holidays at around 9.30 a.m., and also invites people to important events in the Frog's Horn, such as festivals and church services. The bell is traditionally rung to welcome the New Year.

The inscription on the bell recalls a passage from the Book of Micah: "You have been told, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of thee, if not to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

[text from the information board by the bell tower].