Fischbrunnen

The Fischbrunnen (Fish Fountain) is a striking ornamental fountain on Marienplatz in Munich's Old Town, standing directly in front of the main entrance of the New Town Hall. One of the city's most popular meeting spots, it draws especially visitors from the surrounding region. The history of a fountain on this site goes back to the Middle Ages, when a market fountain was already mentioned here in the 14th century. After the first municipal water pipeline was built in the 15th century, the fountain served for a long time as the only source of running water on the square. The present structure dates from 1954 and was designed by Josef Henselmann, who reused parts of its Neo-Gothic predecessor by Konrad Knoll from 1865, which was destroyed in World War II.

Architecturally, the fountain consists of a conglomerate basin whose central column is crowned by a bronze fish. This figure recalls the days when Marienplatz was still the city's central marketplace and fishmongers kept their catch cool in baskets in the fountain water. Three figures of butcher's apprentices pour water from buckets into the basin, an allusion to the historic Metzgersprung (Butchers' Leap) tradition. In this custom, apprentices once jumped into the water on Rose Monday to complete their training. Today the leap takes place only every three years. Another well-known tradition is the Geldbeutelwaschen (purse washing) on Ash Wednesday, when the mayor washes the city's empty purse in the fountain water to symbolize abundance in the coming year.