Engelbert-Brunnen

The Engelbert-Brunnen is a statue in Bochum’s city centre, marking the spot where the first fountain stood. It honours Engelbert III, Count of the Mark, who ruled from 1346 to 1391 and is said to have started the May-eve festival. The present bronze figure was unveiled in July 2020 after restoration, standing outside the Propsteikirche on Große Beckstraße.

The statue has moved several times since the original fountain was put up in 1910. It was taken for scrap in 1944, replaced in 1964, shifted for the U-Bahn in 1974, and finally set beside the symbol of the old Beckporte in 2020. The bronze shows Engelbert in armour, though some once thought it depicted his grandfather, Engelbert II, who confirmed Bochum’s rights in 1321.

Visitors find the statue at the corner of Große Beckstraße and Untere Marktstraße. A pair of metal plates marks the former Beckporte nearby, linking the spot to the May-eve procession. The area is quiet, close to the Propsteikirche and the pedestrian zone, a place where history and local custom meet.