July 2008
Making a Splash
Fountains in Munich
Some say life came from water, and we’ve never left it since. Most early civilizations were founded near water sources and Munich was no exception. Before Guelph Henry XII “The Lion” founded Munich, monks laid down the first foundations in the area near the Isar River. Fountains in these early settlements were valuable storage installations supplying water for humans, animals and plants. Centuries later, technology could ensure a water supply large enough to accommodate aesthetic purposes. Fountains became works of art or landmarks of commemoration, instead of just sources of life. Today, more than 1200 fountains sprinkle in Munich as private, communal or stately property. About a hundred of these fountains still bear drinking water, but first and foremost these aquatic installations are a visual delight, and the designed murmurs and ripples of water, a massage to ears strained from the din of urban life.
Many of these public gems were once the exclusive domain of courtly elite. The nobility of the Residence, for example, commissioned a number of fountains on the sprawling premises. The most prominent is located in the
Brunnenhof (fountain courtyard). At the center of the patio, the 400-year-old
Wittelsbacher Fountain shows the first count of the Wittelsbach dynasty, Otto the Great, standing on a pillar in knight’s armor. Around him are statues representing the Bavarian rivers Donau, Inn, Isar and Lech, and figurines of Neptune, Volcano, Juno and Ceres, representing the four elements. The grotto of the Residence displays yet another fountain with aquatic adornment: Its spectacular seashell garniture has been imitated at several European courts. In another part of the garden stands the Perseus Fountain (1590). This sculpture depicts the moment after Perseus has beheaded Medusa, whose skull grew snakes rather than hair. Instead of blood, water pours out of Medusa’s head and her decapitated neck. Admittedly, it’s not the best spot for quiet contemplation.
More motifs that provoked debate from the start can be found in the city center. A monument by Matthias Gasteiger, for example, had won a gold medal at the Paris World’s Fair. When city residents saw the
Brunnen-Buberl (Fountain Boy, 1895) at Stachus, however, that award hardly ameliorated the controversy: It features a naked boy pressing his hand against the water pipe of an old satyr, who in return spits on the boy. No less than Prince Luitpold visited the sculptor’s studio in protest of the privates’ public display, and, more than 300 bathing suits were sent to the artist by scandalized citizens. To this day, however, the boy stands uncovered, only moved from his original spot to the pedestrian zone behind the city gate.
A few hundred meters further near St. Michaels Church, a fountain commemorates a more famous son of the city: Richard Strauss, who was born in 1864 just a few blocks away. The
Richard Strauss Fountain was built in 1962 to pay tribute to the composer’s most successful opera,
Salome. Six sections of reliefs encircling a pillar present the plot of the
masterpiece. Rhythmic cascades of water fall from a bowl on top, wrapping the pillar in a wet veil reminiscent of Salome’s legendary dance of the seven veils and the fatal agreement that followed.
Two more fountains in the city center were installed as reminders of merchant history. The
Fischbrunnen (Fish Fountain, 1953) marks a spot on Marienplatz that was once the city’s fish market. The
Rinderbrunnen (Cattle Fountain, 1965) reminds passers-by of the former cattle market that was held across from St. Peter’s Church.
In Roman mythology, Neptune was the God of running water. The Greeks even ascribed to him the power over the sea and all of its inhabitants. It’s only fitting then, that he is commemorated in fountain form as well. At the old botanical garden between Stachus and the Hauptbahnhof, Josef Wackerle created a stone arrangement to honor the mythological god in 1937. Trident in hand, Neptune stands on a rock next to a seahorse. The light-colored stone of the
Neptune Fountain is a clear departure from the brick stones of the adjacent judiciary building. The design of the fountain is also notable for a more sinister reason: Created during Nazi rule, it is colored by the aesthetic influences of the party and their dark history.
Over at Rotkreuzplatz, a more modern and whimsical fountain was inspired by its brick surroundings. The
Steinernes Paar (Stone Couple, 1983) by Klaus Schultze consists of two red brick male and female figurines, who present each other with bouquets of water. Colorful mosaics adorn the fountain and nearby benches, which invite pedestrians to rest and enjoy the play of the water jets.
Simply wandering through Munich with an open eye will introduce you to even more fountains. Just recently, in fact, a new fountain began to spray next to the Jewish Cultural Center on
St.-Jakobs-Platz. In front of the Lenbachhaus, there is a temporary water pavilion by Jeppe Hein. These and many more are testament to the fact that water is just as important to the survival of a city’s culture as to that of its inhabitants. <<<
