Muschelbrunnen in Weimar

The Muschelbrunnen stands against the southern wall of the Weimarhallenpark in Schwanseestraße, just before the corner with Bad-Hersfelder-Straße. Its centrepiece is a large shell from which water spouts through a grotesque lion’s head. Flanking the shell are two dolphin figures whose tails curl into volutes, and below sits a small trough for dogs. The fountain was first installed near the Frauentor in the early 1820s, later moved in 1847 to the former Stiedenvorwerk, and again after 1857 to its present position. Carl Dornberger, a stone-mason from Berka, is credited with its creation on behalf of Grand Duchess Maria Pawlowna. Weimar’s public fountains draw water from the Rabenwäldchen woods, and the Muschelbrunnen was restored in 1971 by local master stonemason Kurt Stiefel. Visitors find a quiet corner beside the park’s high wall, where the shell arches over the lion’s head and water glides down the dolphins’ backs. The Berkaer Sandstein glows in the afternoon light, and the low trough at the base remains a practical reminder of the fountain’s civic role.