Neuer Brunnen

The Neuer Brunnen stands in Mainz’s Bleichenviertel, a late-Baroque fountain built between 1724 and 1726 by Johannes Weydt for Elector Lothar Franz von Schönborn. Its centrepiece is a twelve-metre obelisk covered with flat reliefs on different subjects, while four sculptures at its base show two river gods and two lions. The oval basin and obelisk are carved from red sandstone, giving the whole structure a warm, earthy tone. The river gods representing the Rhine and Main were carved by Franz Matthias Hiernle in 1726, though these originals were replaced by copies in 1877 and now reside in the Landesmuseum Mainz. Joseph Scholl supplied the sphinx-like lions in Savonnières limestone in 1828, taking the place of earlier nymph figures. After damage and weathering, the fountain underwent major cleaning and repair in 2002 and 2004, restoring the obelisk and every stone element to something close to its original appearance. Visitors find the Neuer Brunnen on Neubrunnenplatz at the corner of Große Bleiche, where the obelisk rises above the oval basin. The four river gods and lions stand around the base, their flowing forms contrasting with the sharp lines of the obelisk. The red sandstone glows in morning light, while the surrounding square offers a quiet spot to study the reliefs and sculptures at close range.