Merkurbrunnen

The Merkurbrunnen stands in Bielefeld’s city centre, a bronze figure of the Roman god Mercury hovering above a vast stone basin. Herbert Volwahsen designed the fountain in the early 1960s as the final touch to the post-war rebuilding of the Alte Markt. Its modern lines quickly made it one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Mercury rises from a half-globe that suggests the Earth, wings hinted at on his helmet and sandals. Small jets of water trace the clouds on which he seems to float. The fountain weighs several tonnes yet rests lightly on its base, its 2.70-metre figure balanced in a dynamic pose. A caduceus in his right hand completes the classical image. When the pedestrian zone was reorganised in 2005, the Merkurbrunnen was moved a short distance to Bunnemannplatz in front of the Mercure Hotel. Some citizens objected to the relocation, seeing the move as a loss of the old square’s character. Visitors today find the fountain set in a paved plaza where shoppers and diners gather. Water sprays from the basin rim, catching the light around the bronze figure. The surrounding streets lead to Bielefeld’s main shopping arcades and the historic Sparrenburg castle. From the square the eye travels up to the church spires and modern office towers, linking past and present in a single view.