The small Fountains of Bern are a very important attraction of the Old Town. Perhaps it is better to call them springs of drinking water rather than fountains. In the 16th century, they were all decorated with stone figures, so now they can be recognized as an architectural decoration of the Bern.
In Bern, all fountains are called Brunnen, which means both fountain and spring in German. In the Middle Ages, the fountains of Bern were made of wood. The oldest surviving source from the 14th century is the Stettbrunnen, which is located in the courtyard of the Nydeggkirche Church.
Since 1520, stone fountains were built on various streets of Bern, where the town`s residents collected drinking water. From 1542 to 1546, all wooden fountains were replaced with stone ones and decorated with figures. Most of the sculptures on the fountains were created by the Freiburg sculptor Hans Ging.
The most photographed fountain is the Zahringerbrunnen. You can see a bear in knight`s armor, with a lowered visor. He holds a banner in his right hand and a shield in his left. It is often photographed as the Bear is a symbol of Bern, and the fountain is installed next to another symbol of the town – the Clock Tower of Zitglogge.
Another equally famous fountain in Bern is the "Child Eater". There was a lot of controversy about it. It depicts an Ogre eating a child with other children in his bag. It was believed that this man-eater was scared before all the unruly children of Bern.
There are several dozen fountains in Bern, but the most famous were made in the 16th century in the workshop of the sculptor Hans Ging. The fountain "Piper" is based on the famous engraving by Albrecht dürer "Piper". The fountain "Riffly" depicts the legendary Riffly shooter, who in the battle of Laupen was able to kill the commanders of the enemy troops with well-aimed shots. The fountain "Anna Seiler" was created in honor of the woman who opened the first public hospital in Bern in 1354. The fountain "Shooter" depicts a warrior in armor of the 17th century.
Samson fountain breaks the lion`s mouth. This is a very famous theme for fountains. In the Peterhof Palace near St. Petersburg, the largest fountain is also made on the same plot. In a small square in front of the Town Hall, the Standard-Bearer fountain is installed. The fountain of Justice depicts a Roman goddess. The Moses fountain is located on the square in front of the Bernese Cathedral.
