A German village has voted to keep a bell cast with a swastika which was discovered after being hidden for 74 years.

The bell in St Jacob's church in the 700-person town of Herxheim am Berg also praises the Nazi regime with "everything for the fatherland - Adolf Hitler" embossed above the emblem of the German Nazi party.

Its discovery stirred controversy within the Parish with some members wanting the bell protected, while others wanted it to be removed.

Arguing the bell served as a reminder for the nation's dark past, the 10-3 vote on Monday rejected an offer to remove and replace the bell by the Church of St James.

A memorial plauque for the 240kg bell, which has hung in the church since 1934, will now also be displayed on the 1,000-year-old heritage-listed church.

The decision to keep the "Hitler bell" was met with applause from many community members, German news agency DPA reports.

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