The Grassmayr Bell Foundry is one of the last places in Europe where metal bells are still made. The foundry stands in Innsbruck, western Austria. There, workers wear special clothing to protect themselves from the heat of melted bronze. Carefully, they pour the hot metal into molds to make large bells for churches. The company was started in 1599, and it has survived wars, disease, and hard economic times. These days, the family business is run by two brothers, Johannes and Peter Grassmayr.

Long ago, Europe had hundreds of bell makers, but now only a few are left. The Grassmayr brothers say their success comes from hard work and new ideas. They still use some methods from 400 years ago, but they have also added modern tools such as 3D printing, lasers, and computer apps. Cleaning and polishing a new bell once took a long time, but today it takes far less. "Especially within the last 20 years, we've changed a lot," Johannes said.

However, the business faces problems. Fewer new churches are built now, so fewer bells are needed. Energy and labor costs have risen, and the price of bronze has climbed sharply. To keep going, the family now repairs old bells as well. Their work can be found in over 100 countries, from Japan to the United States.