Mendebrunnen

---

Mendebrunnen by Jacob Ungerer & Adolf Gnauth, 1886
Augustusplatz
Leipzig, September 2024

“The Mendebrunnen is located at Augustusplatz in front of the Gewandhaus (Concert Hall). It is the largest fountain in Leipzig and cost 189,000 gold marks to construct. It was built by Adolf Gnauth in 1883–86. The ensemble of figures was created by the Munich sculptor Jacob Ungerer. Pauline Mende, a merchant's widow, bequeathed her money to Leipzig for building a fountain. In honor to her Leipzig give the fountain her name. Regarding her motives, Egon Erwin Kisch speculated that Mende was the owner of a brothel and wanted to atone for her sacrilegious earthly actions with the generous legacy. The legend later turned out to be a (possibly intentional) mix-up. The Mendebrunnen is to be understood as an allegory of the importance of water for humans. The maritime depictions embody figures from Greek mythology: Triton , the son of Poseidon, is depicted twice with a human torso and a double-tailed fish body. The Triton figures contain powerfully rearing hippocampi, mythical creatures half horse, half fish, which can be interpreted as man's control of the forces of the sea. The Nereids on the consoles of the almost 18 m (59.1 ft) tall obelisk symbolize the benefits that people derive from dealing with the sea. Gnauth and Ungerer based their basic concept of the fountain as well as the selection and design of the sculptures on famous models of the Italian Baroque. The references to the Roman fountains in Piazza Navona, the Fontana del Moro and the Four Rivers Fountain designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini are unmistakable. The motif of the ensemble of figures could be inspired by Nicola Salvi's Trevi Fountain in Rome.” (Fountains in Leipzig, Wikipedia)