Tritonbrunnen

The Triton Fountain stands in Duisburg’s Münzstraße, a short walk south of the city hall. Originally made for the Rathausdurchgang by Fridolin Dietsche, it was part of Friedrich Ratzel’s plan to evoke a medieval castle courtyard. The fountain was finished after the hall opened and first photographed in December 1902. Three sides of its stone basin are guarded by turtles whose mouths send streams into the water. A tall column rises on the fourth side, carved with fruit-laden candelabra. Atop the column a bronze fish curves forward, and a boy with a raised trident rides the fish, recalling the sea-god Triton. Visitors find the hexagonal basin easy to view from the pavement. Water plays across the turtles’ shells and spouts from the fish’s mouth, creating a small, lively scene. The bronze figures catch the light and the surrounding buildings frame the fountain in quiet daily life.