Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Brunnen

The Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Brunnen is a double-bowl fountain in Munich, set between the Residenz palace and the former Marstall riding school. Created in 1961 by sculptor Bernhard Bleeker, it stands on a column topped by a sphere that supports a bronze figure of Justitia. The goddess holds a set of scales in one hand and a statue of Pallas Athene on the other, symbolising victory, art and science. Below the figure are two shallow bowls and a raised catch-basin, all made of bronze or shell-lime stone. The fountain honours Crown Prince Rupprecht, son of the last Bavarian king, Ludwig III. A monogram of a crowned R marks the central column, linking him to the Wittelsbach dynasty. The Bavarian Academy of Sciences commissioned the work and occupies the Residenz’s north-east wing, with its main entrance beside the fountain. Rupprecht became an honorary member in 1911 for his cultural interests and later opposed National Socialism. Visitors find a quiet square framed by historic buildings, where the fountain’s flowing water contrasts with the surrounding stone. The bronze gleams in sunlight while the shell-lime basin weathers to a soft grey. Justitia’s classical pose and the crowned monogram draw the eye upward, linking past and present. The Academy’s entrance nearby adds a scholarly presence to the scene.