Märchenbrunnen facts for kids
The Märchenbrunnen (simply the "fountain of fairy tales") is located in the Volkspark Friedrichshain in Berlin. In 1893 the authorities of Berlin issued the artistic entrance to the National Park Friedrichshain. The fountain of fairy tales was commissioned by the National Park and later designed by Ludwig Hoffmann. Hoffmann put forward the idea of a fountain in the park to depict fairy tales. Hoffmann describes this in his memoirs.
Contents
Design
Overall Plan
The overall designs for the fountain complex came from architect and longtime Berlin city councilor, Ludwig Hoffmann. The centerpiece of the design is a 34 x 54 meter (112 x 177 ft) fountain in Neo-Baroque style. The fountain basin is made up of four cascading waterfalls which contain one large and nine smaller individual fountains, as well as seven water-spouting frog figurines, one of which is denoted as being The Frog Prince. On the east side, the cascading pool is enclosed by a semicircular arcade; a succession of arches. In the center of the nine arches is a large stone bowl which is decorated with sculptures of dogs' heads. Above the arcade is a complete gallery containing sculptures of various animals from folklore and literary fairy tales. Behind the arcade is fountain called the Dolphin Fountain (German: Delphinbrunnen), which has a diameter of 8 meters (26 ft). Designed with concentric circles, the rim of the pool is adorned by sculptures of children with fairy-tale animals. It was created by sculptor Georg Wrba.
Sculptures
Throughout his career, Ludwig Hoffmann put special emphasis on sculpted ornamentation on his numerous buildings. As he found that this aspect of architecture was traditionally inadequately represented in northern Germany - and especially in Berlin - he often collaborated with three sculptors from southern Germany: Ignatius Taschner, Georg Wrba, and Josef Rauch. From these sculptors came the extensive sculpture collection of the Märchenbrunnen, a total of 106 figurative or purely decorative stone sculptures. Taschner created the central motifs, 10 sculptures around the edge of the fountain, through which he interpreted nine well-known fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm: Hansel and Gretel (with two sculptures based on the lesser-known second version of the fairy tale from 1819, in which the rescued children are carried home over water by a helpful duck), Puss in Boots, Hans in Luck, The Seven Ravens, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Brother and Sister, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty. Wrba received a commission for four Hermas, which are found in narrow, hedge-lined pathways to the side of the fairytale fountain (they depict an ogre, the Riesentochter [giant daughter], the Rübezahl and Old Mother Frost), also for six groups of children placed in alcoves around the Dolphin Fountain and for various other decorative elements. Josef Rauch supplied the 14 marble sculptures depicting game animals found on the fountain arcade.
One of the seven Snow White dwarves bears a clear resemblance to the painter Adolph Menzel. This was a silent protest against Kaiser Wilhelm II’s decision to not give the artist a monument after his death, citing a disagreement between the two over Menzel's stark depictions of the harsh conditions within Germany's burgeoning industry as a reason. However, this interpretation is doubtful, for, on the other hand, Wilhelm II had highly valued Menzel's works on Prussian history and even ordered a state funeral for the painter, in which the emperor himself took part.
Images for kids
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Rescued Sculptures. 1950
See also
In Spanish: Fuente de los Cuentos de Hadas para niños
