Holzmarktbrunnen

The Holzmarktbrunnen stands in Hannover’s old town beside the Leibnizhaus on Holzmarkt square. It is a protected monument created by several artists. A second, older well lies hidden beneath the square, discovered in 1983 when a lorry sank into its stone shaft. The spot is now marked by a circle of paving stones. The fountain began in 1896 as a jubilee gift from Oscar Winter and Wilhelm Meier. Karl Gundelach shaped the central figure of a smith holding the staff of Mercury. Otto Lüer designed the stone base, while G. Wilhelm and W. Lind made the copper bowls. After war damage and repairs the smith was recast in 1954 without a beard, giving the figure a younger look. Visitors see the copper basins framed by ornate iron railings and a granite surround added in 1900. A wish-ring set into the railing can be turned for luck. The golden ball above the canopy still holds the original builders’ signatures from 1896.