Josefsbrunnen (ditch)
The Josefsbrunnen is a fountain on the west side of the plague column on Graben in the 1st district of Vienna, Innere Stadt . On the east side of the plague column is the Leopoldsbrunnen with very similar architecture and building history ( 48 ° 13 ′ N , 16 ° 22 ′ E ) . Combined, they are often referred to in the literature as ditch wells.
description
Josefsbrunnen
In the center of an octagonal fountain basin is a classicistic square base. In the south-east axis there are two metal relief panels with the scenes Escape from Egypt and an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, and in the east-west axis there is a metal lion's head spouting water. On the pedestal is a lead figure depicting Saint Joseph in antique clothing and with a staff, leaning down to a boy who is holding a scroll, Joseph's family tree.
Leopoldsbrunnen
The architecture of the Leopoldsbrunnen is identical, with the relief panels depicting the scenes of finding the veil of the margravine and laying the foundation stone of Klosterneuburg . The main figure shows Saint Leopold in armor with a crown, holding a flag, and on the right a boy with a drawing of the Klosterneuburg church .
history
There are written records that in the middle of the 15th century a fountain was built on the moat, the water of which was drawn in pipes from the garden of the Hofburg and was called the "Löwenbrunn" because of the four lion heads, which were probably used as gargoyles. From 1651 there was a Jupiter statue in the center of the fountain , designed by the sculptor Johann Jakob Pock . In the middle of the 16th century, another well was built on the east side of the moat. The court stonemason and sculptor Antonius Bregno (also called Premb ) and the court painter Stephan Simpeckh also worked on the fountain . After the plague column was erected (1679), Emperor Leopold I wanted the two fountains on both sides of the column to be rebuilt and the fountains to be decorated with the portraits of "Saint Joseph" and "Saint Leopold" . The reorganization took place in 1680–1681. Around 1730–1740 the fountains were significantly changed. In 1804 the sculptures of saints designed by the sculptor Johann Frühwirth were replaced by lead figures by Johann Martin Fischer , and the fountains were restored or redesigned.
Below the Josefsbrunnen, Vienna's oldest underground lavatory, the public lavatory on the Graben , was built in 1904/05 . For this purpose the Josefsbrunnen first had to be dismantled and later put back up again. In the course of renovating the public lavatory around 1987/88, the Josefsbrunnen located above was also renovated.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Grabenbrunnen in the Vienna History Wiki of the City of Vienna
Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 32.9 ″ N , 16 ° 22 ′ 8.9 ″ E