Klokkengieterij Petit & Fritsen

Around 1690 Nicolas Jullien, scion of an old bell-founders family, came to the Netherlands with his children, including Alexius and Maria, and settled in Weert. After the children of Maria, who had been married to the surgeon Jean Petit, were orphaned by their mother's death in 1703, Nicolas brought them to Weert. There they learned the trade from their uncle Alexius. Of the Petit children, around 1720 Jean Petit settled in Helmond and his brother Joseph in Someren. Joseph's son Alexius moved to Aarle-Rixtel in 1787 together with his sons Henricus, Everardus and Alexius jr. His daughter Aldegonda married Izaac Fritsen. When Henricus Petit stopped casting bells in 1815, the foundry was continued by Henricus Fritsen, the son of Aldegonda Petit and Izaac Fritsen. Since then the name of the bell-foundry has been Petit & Fritsen. Although much older, the bell-foundry officially dates back to the year 1660, making it the third oldest family-owned business in the Netherlands.

Since 1907 the bell-foundry is located in the monumental building at the Klokkengietersstraat 1 in Aarle-Rixtel. As of 1 May 2014, the bell-foundry has been taken over by Eijsbouts in Asten.
The building still houses the only wood-fired casting furnace in Europe.

If you want to know more about the Petit & Fritsen bellfoundry please visit: www.petit-fritsen.nl