A mention of the construction of the church tower was found in the old city chronicle from 1608-1640. According to these records it was originally a wooden tower. However, it was dismantled and removed in 1613. A new massive stone tower was built in the same place afterwards. Its construction was superintended by Hans Peter, a Master Mason from Opava. The then owner of the estate Karel Pražma of Bílkov himself together with Kryštof Sedlnický, the owner of the estate in Moravská Ostrava was present at the turn-over. One surprising fact is that the stone for the tower was transported all the way from Valašské Meziříčí, therefore from a distance of more than 40 km, by horse-drawn carts!

On the eve of the Thirty Years’ War the tower became an important guarding and defensive part of the fortifications of the town. Perhaps because of this fact the lower parts of the wall were 2.40 metres thick. The clock first appeared on the tower in 1533 and it was taken care of by a bell-ringer. After the Thirty Years’ War the tower got its Baroque roofing and its shingly roof was eventually replaced by plate roof in the 18th century. In the following centuries it underwent a series of repairs, lightning struck it several times and even killed a bell-ringer. In 1925 the dome was covered with copper sheet. At the same time a lightning conductor was placed here. In the past the church bells used to ring during joyful events, convoked people to a prayer, but also when a danger threatened. The bells, however, had their own painful fates.

During the war times they were dismounted off the towers and recast, to become the cannons that were sowing the seeds of horror and death. So it was in the World War II, when the bells were removed also from the church tower in Bílovec and only the oldest one stayed there. During the subsequent repairs after the World War II ended the walls of the tower were embedded with “the Swedish balls”, as they are called, with the year of 1657 engraved, symbolizing the year when the city recovered from the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War, as well with the year of 1945, to commemorate the end of the World War II.

Today the tower is 50,67 m tall and there are four bells of the total weight of 3337 kg hung inside. The oldest and largest bell, weighing 1650 kg, is Saint Jakub (Jacob) and Mikuláš (Nicholas). It dates back to the 17th century and it was recast in 1850. The tone of the bell is in D and it bears an inscription: “May Saint Jakub the elder and Saint Mikuláš, a confessor and bishop, carefully protect Bílovec”. The other three bells were donated by Bílovec natives – priests, cousins P. Ernest and Adolf Kretschmer and were cast in Passau by the company at the company Perner in 1991.

The bell “Holy Cross”, weighing 913 kg, bears the inscription “Jesus Christ, the Saviour, give us peace.” The tone of the Bell is in F major-octave.

The bell weighing 485 kg is dedicated to the Mother of God, the tone of the bell is in A minor, the inscription on the bell says: “Holy Mary, our Mother of the dearest, pray for us.

The smallest bell weighs 289 kg and is dedicated to Saint Hedvika (Hedwig) and the Holy Barbora (Barbara), the tone of the Bell is in C, the inscription on the bell says: “Saint Hedwig and St. Barbara bring help to all of us”.

The lower part of the tower is an entrance to the organ. Commemorative plaques from 1931 dedicated to the 158 victims of the World War I (1914-18) were once again placed at the main entrance of the church, and on the outer wall there is a plaque commemorating a Bílovec native, painter F. I. Leicher.

During the last renovation of the church tower in the years 2012-13 there were historical records, saved in 1925, found in the tower. At the same time the new records were placed into the ball of the tower. The costs associated with the reconstruction (5 mil CZK), were covered mostly by the Regional Operational Programme scheme.

Sources
E. Jelonek-Unser Stadt-Kirchtum (Wagstädter Bezirkzeitung 1925, Nr 31 (Naše městská kostelní věž (Bílovecké okresní noviny 1925 č. 31)) Z. Kuchta, kronikář města, Kronika města Bílovce, part X