Rundbrunnen im Volkspark Friedrichshain

The Delphinbrunnen stands in Berlin’s Volkspark Friedrichshain, a circular ornamental fountain designed by Ludwig Hoffmann and Georg Wrba in the early 20th century. It forms part of the Märchenbrunnen ensemble, created after Hoffmann won long debates with the city assembly to replace planned decorative buildings with a fairy-tale theme. The fountain was inaugurated in 1913, just before the First World War, and sits only a few metres east of its larger sibling. The fountain’s basin is eight metres wide and thirty centimetres deep, with four large fish sculpted around its rim. Water sprays from each fish’s mouth into the basin while a central jet rises about six metres. Four child figures play beside the fish, carved from shell limestone and restored after war damage in the 1950s using historic records. Some original figures have been preserved and are displayed nearby in the park’s garden office. Visitors reach the round plaza through a short path from the Märchenbrunnen’s arched gallery. Along the approach stand two girl figures holding baskets, one filled with roses and the other with grapes, likely referencing the fairy tale Snow-White and Rose-Red. Surrounding the basin are low hedges, benches, and further child sculptures—a boy with a goat, a boy with a pelican, a hunter with a dog, and a girl with a turkey. A protected plane tree and a circular path complete the setting, linking the fountain to the park’s broader landscape.