The out-of-tune bells in the iconic Rathaus Glockenspiel in Munich have prompted a political squabble over what some local politicians call the "disharmony in city hall."
The bells are part of an elaborate mechanical clock in Munich's town hall tower that also includes life-sized figures. The clock chimes several times daily and re-enacts local scenes.
The Rathaus Glockenspiel, which towers over the Marienplatz Square in central Munich, is among the Bavarian capital's best-known attractions and usually draws large crowds of tourists.
City councillors from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the right-wing populist Free Voters have demanded that the historic 43-bell carillon be brought back into tune and complained about the current discordant sounds.
Munich's local building department, however, replied this week that the bells have "always been subject to tonal fluctuations due to its construction and the weather."
An acoustics company is currently working on fine-tuning new automated controls of the carillon, the agency said.
The sound currently playing from the tower during work on the bells is not the actual ringing but a tape recording from 2007.
The carillon has never been known for a melodious sound or harmonious tuning, as tourists have repeatedly noted in comments left on the "Tripadvisor" website.
"Boring, out of tune and takes forever," was the verdict of one visitor from Australia in 2018.
