Fountain of Friendship of Nations (Berlin)
| Fountain of friendship between nations | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| place | Berlin center |
| country |
 Germany
|
| use | Jewellery |
| construction time | 1969-1970 |
| architect | Walter Womacka |
| Architectural style | Socialist modernity |
| Technical specifications | |
| height | 6.20 m |
| diameter | (Water basin) 23 m |
| Building material | Copper , glass , ceramics , enamel ; Concrete (basin) |
| Coordinates | |
| location | Coordinates: 52 ° 31 ′ 19.3 " N , 13 ° 24 ′ 46" E 52 ° 31 ′ 19.3 " N , 13 ° 24 ′ 46" E |
The People's Friendship Fountain is a fountain on the Alexanderplatz in Berlin district of Mitte . Walter Womacka designed the fountain in 1969/1970 as part of the redesign of Alexanderplatz; it was manufactured under the direction of the metal designer and art blacksmith Hans-Joachim Kunsch in his company. The facility was inaugurated on October 7, 1970, the 21st anniversary of the founding of the GDR .
description
The fountain's outer water basin has a diameter of 23 meters. The water spiral is 6.20 meters high and consists of chased copper , glass , ceramic and enamel . The water emerges at the highest point and then flows in a spiral downwards over 17 bowls that are between one and four meters in diameter. Colored glass crystals set in brass were inserted between the pillars. The spiral arrangement of the bowls is taken up by the mosaic of the lower fountain basin, the frieze of which is designed with plant and animal motifs. The spiral continued in the pattern of the paving until a massive renovation of Alexanderplatz (among other things by expanding the Centrum Warenhaus to Galeria Kaufhof ) in 2006 , which was clearly visible from an elevated location.
During the GDR era, the fountain was popularly called " hooker brooch" because of its very colorful enamelling and the prostitution that took place in the area .
The fountain stands since the 1980s under monument protection . When it was inaugurated, it had underwater lighting that was bought in the West , but after a few years there was no currency for maintenance and it was switched off. In 2002 sponsors made it possible to carry out a comprehensive renovation of the fountain, which was carried out by the Kunsch Metallbau company. However, the lighting was not reinstalled until April 2007.
gallery
The fountain in 1987
Detail of the inner rim of the fountain
Night view
Web links
- Entry in the Berlin State Monument List
- The fountain of friendship between nations on the website of the Berlin Senate
Individual evidence
- ↑ Institute for Monument Preservation (Ed.): The architectural and art monuments of the GDR. Capital Berlin-I . Henschelverlag, Berlin 1984, p. 262 .
- ↑ a b Homepage of Kunsch Metallbau; Reference objects , accessed on April 1, 2013, accessed again on January 19, 2016.
- ↑ Uta Falck: VEB brothel - history of prostitution in the GDR . Ch.links, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-86153-161-5 , p. 80.
- ↑ "Friendship of Nations" shines again ( Memento from May 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive )