Founded in 1599, the Grassmayr Bell Foundry, in Innsbruck, western Austria, has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic challenges. Especially within the last 20 years, we've changed a lot,” Johannes Grassmayr told The Associated Press. In the past cleaning a freshly cast bell and polishing it made up 30% of total production time. But the main cost factor of a newly cast bell is still the price of materials. Hundreds of defective bells from 12 European countries have been restored at the Grassmayr bell foundry, according to the company.