Monuments Class Projects
Architect/Sculptor of Monument
Heinrich Beheim (?-1403)
Preview
Medium
photograph, carte-de-viste
Keywords
Germany, Gothic architecture, 14th century, Holy Roman Emperors, fountain, prophets, philosophers, evangelists, medieval water systems, Doctors of the Church
Physical Dimensions
2 ½ ” x 4 ⅛ “
Date of Publication
2025
Date of Publication
c. 1850-70
Name of Monument
Schöner Brunnen
Date of Completion or Dedication of Monument
2025
City of Monument
Nuremberg
Location within City
Hauptmarkt (marketplace)
State/Province of Monument
Bavaria
Country of Monument
Germany
Description
A carte-de-visite photograph from the late 19th century of the Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) in Nuremburg, Germany. The fourteen-meter fountain, erected in the late 14th century, commemorates religious and philosophical figures in multiple tiers, including Old Testament prophets and classical philosophers.
School of Art/Architecture
Gothic
Publisher
Heinrich Schrag
Digital Date
8-21-2025
Copyright
Physical copy of the carte-de-viste is in the public domain. Digital copy scanned by Rod Library ©2025 Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
File Format
image/jpeg
Comments
The Schöner Brunnen or “Beautiful Fountain,” located in the marketplace of Nuremberg, Germany, was built between 1385 and 1396 by Heinrich Beheim. It includes forty statues of important religious and philosophical figures. The Gothic fountain was put in place to celebrate the new water system of pipes which was installed in the city at the same time. The fountain is about nineteen meters high and octagonal in shape with four tiers, and is surrounded by an ornate fence that was installed in 1587. The highest tier of the fountain depicts major Old Testament prophets, including Moses, Amos, Isaiah, Joel, Hosea, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The tier below it depicts the seven “prince-electors” at the time it was erected. These men, mostly archbishops, were in charge of electing the Holy Roman Emperor. The next tier includes representations of the four Evangelists; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the four Latin “Fathers of the Catholic Church”, Saints Gregory, Jerome, Augustine and Ambrose. The lowest tier depicts classical cultural figures who contributed to philosophy and the liberal arts, such as Socrates, Pythagoras, and Cicero. In the 1820s, the fountain underwent restoration, and by 1903 the fountain’s components had been completely replaced, although parts of the original sculpture have been preserved in the nearby Germanisches National Museum. In 1902, a gold brass ring was added to the railing as it was being restored. Turning this good luck charm, called a Glucksbringer or Ehekarussel (luck bringer or marriage carousel) three times is said to bring good luck and grant wishes, and remains a popular aspect of the structure. During World War II, a concrete structure was constructed around it to protect it against the Allied bombing. Although the city of Nuremberg received damage from bombing, the concrete casing protected the fountain. Its survival against the destruction of war has heightened its importance to the city, representing the endurance of art and beauty during hard times. Most recently, the fountain underwent renovations in 2016 to add LED lights and a newly functioning water pump system.
Bibliography
Andrews, Chris. “Beautiful Fountain; but Where’s the Pope?” News from Nuremberg in English, English Post Nuremberg, 28 July 2021, www.e nglishpost.de/beautiful-fountain-but-wheres-the-pope/.
“Beautiful Fountain.” Quartiere Nürnberg, 2016, quartiere-nuernberg.de/en/quartiere/the-christkindlesmarket/history-sights/beautif ul-fountain.
“Beautiful Fountain | Work of Art | Virtual Museum of Nuremberg Art.” Nuremberg.museum, 2015, www.nuremberg.museum/projects/show/549-beautif ful-fountain.
“A Fountain the Marketplace of Nuremberg.” Garden-Fountains, 2024, garden-fountains.com/pages/a-fountain-the-marketplace-of-nuremberg?srsltid=Af mBOopAMSjib_OWWwLcz3-nOYGpjKtYHtomi0jE-dzEH_ffgkmWjgqx.
“Schöner Brunnen (Nuremberg) - Everything You Need to Know in 2025.” Explorial, 30 Jan. 2024, explorial.com/sights/nuremberg-schoner-brunnen/.
Volk, Wolfgang. “Monuments on Mathematicians / Schöner Brunnen in Nürnberg.” W-Volk.de, 25 Mar. 2011, www.w-volk.de/museum/well04.htm.