While bells and their ringing have long been present in public life, their use has increasingly become the subject of general criticism and legal disputes in recent decades. The language of bells has lost its self-evidence. Bell law is perceived as a quirky fringe area of state church law. However, it becomes apparent that neglecting the historical context and theological significance of bell ringing can lead to problematic legal assessments of bell usage, which do not do justice to the rather complex system of its symbolism. Such uncertainties manifest, for example, in the questionable yet legally recognized distinction between liturgical bell ringing and supposedly non-sacred timekeeping. The aim of the investigation.