Bronze sculpture 'Klokkengieter'

In Aarle-Rixtel there are two, not identical, statues of a man with an enormous ladle in his hands. The larger of the two stands in front of the church on the Dorpsstraat. A smaller version stands next to the chapel on the Bosscheweg. Both are versions of bell founders. The large one was offered in September 1990 by the Rabobank 'to the community of Aarle-Rixtel'. The Bell-founder is of course inextricably linked to the bell-foundry Petit & Fritsen in the village. It keeps alive the memory of bronze casting, with which countless bells have been made, which can be found all over the world. Since May 1, 2015, no more bells are cast in Aarle-Rixtel. From that date the activities of Petit & Fritsen have been taken over by bellfoundry Eijsbouts from Asten. The name remained. Petit & Fritsen was the third oldest family business in the Netherlands, founded in 1660. From 1907 the bells were cast in the now monumental bell-foundry on the Klokkengietersstraat. Some well-known bells that were cast in Aarle-Rixtel include the Waalsdorp bell (which is rung on the Waalsdorpervlakte during the Memorial Day on May 4) and the Freddom bell in Washington, first rung in 1976 during the celebration of 200 years of independence of the United States. Now that no more bells are cast in Aarle-Rixtel itself, the two bell-founders keep the memory of those bygone days warm.