Seepferdchenbrunnen

The Seepferdchenbrunnen is a fountain monument in Burtscheid, a district of Aachen. It was designed by Gerhard Thomalla, an architect from Aachen, and features six bronze seahorses standing upright around its column. The fountain was originally placed in the rotunda of the Elisenbrunnen after its reconstruction in 1952–53. The seahorses were sculpted by Josef ‘Jupp’ Zeller, another Aachener artist. The basin of the fountain was carved from a single block of dark marble by Ewald Mies, a stonemason whose brother was the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The basin has a diameter of 3.30 metres. The fountain’s history reflects post-war reconstruction in Aachen. After it was removed from the Elisenbrunnen, it was relocated in 1971 to its present site on Kapellenstraße in Burtscheid. Josef Zeller, who created the seahorses in 1953, once lived directly opposite the current location. His family home at Kapellenstraße 45 was later demolished to make way for an extension of the Ferberpark. The fountain’s design and materials link it to both local craftsmanship and modernist architecture. Visitors to the Seepferdchenbrunnen find a quiet corner in Burtscheid, away from the busier parts of Aachen. The six seahorses stand close to the column, their bronze forms catching the light. The dark marble basin forms a striking contrast with the surrounding pavement. The fountain’s position near Kapellenstraße and Ferberpark makes it easy to reach while exploring the area. Its modest scale and simple design invite a moment’s pause rather than a long visit. The monument stands as a small but lasting reminder of Aachen’s post-war recovery and local artistic talent.