The bombing raid on Lübeck on Palm Sunday night 1942 also destroyed the seven-part chimes of St Marien, which were located in the south tower. The largest and third largest bells have been lying shattered on the floor of the south tower chapel (memorial chapel) ever since. Today, more than ever, they remain an expressive memorial to peace and reconciliation. The fragments of the remaining five bells were collected.

After the war, St Marien received three bells from Gdansk, two from St John's and one from St Mary's. These bells were not used during the war. These bells had not been melted down for war purposes, but had survived all the turmoil of the time intact in the bell store (the so-called "bell cemetery") in Hamburg-Harburg. In 1951, to mark the 700th anniversary of St Mary's Church, which was attended by the then Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, a new large pulse bell was cast from the collected fragments of the church's five completely destroyed old bells at the F. W. Schilling bell foundry in Heidelberg. This casting was financed by the Federal Republic of Germany. The four bells were hung in the north tower of St Marien on cranked steel yokes in a steel belfry.

It was clear that this four-part peal did not correspond to the significance of St Marien as the "Mother Church of Brick Gothic" in the long term. So in 1985, three new bells were cast by the Bachert bell foundry in Bad Friedrichshall to match the pulse bell. The three, called "peace bells", were also hung in a steel belfry on cranked steel yokes.

However, the sound of the now seven-part peal was not convincing. In 2005, the two steel bell frames were replaced by a wooden bell frame. The bells were given wooden yokes and new clappers. This measure resulted in an impressive improvement in the sound, making the bells one of the most beautiful in Europe.

In 2019, two smaller bells, cast by the Rincker bell foundry in Sinn, Hesse, were added to the Mariengeläut, in which the low-pitched sounds dominate, to increase the fullness of the sound towards the top.

A special donation made it possible to cast a further three bells in 2023. These were also cast by the Rincker bell foundry in Sinn and required extensive extension and conversion work on the existing belfry.

The use of the now 12 bells follows a fixed and detailed ringing order.

The basic principle is: the more significant the church occasion, the more and deeper the bells ring.

Thus the great festive peal with all the new bells can only be heard on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, Easter and Whitsun. In addition, a new pastor, a provost or a church anniversary are also celebrated.

The medium festive peal of eight bells rings out on 1 Advent, Epiphany (6 January), the last Sunday after Epiphany, Maundy Thursday, Confirmation, Ascension Day, Trinity Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Reformation Day.

The small festive peal of seven bells can be heard on the Sunday after Christmas, on New Year's Eve before the afternoon service, on New Year's Day and on the Sundays of Easter.

Six bells ring on "normal" Sundays. Sundays and public holidays are rung at 8 p.m. the evening before and at 8 a.m. on the morning of the day with the bell that is intended for the respective service.

Special combinations of bells are rung for religious services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals. The same applies to devotions and other church events.

The daytime ringing takes place:

at 8 am (Resurrection of Christ),

at 12 noon (Incarnation of Christ)

and at 6 pm (Death of Christ)

each with a dedicated bell.