Wheel fountain
The Radbrunnen ( Estonian Rataskaev ), also cat fountain , is a historical fountain in the Estonian capital Tallinn (German Reval).
location
It is located in the old town of Reval, at the confluence of Dunkerstraße (Estonian Dunkri ) with Raderstraße ( Rataskaevu ) running west of it . The Hotel St. Petersbourg is located a little to the northeast .
history
The fountain is mentioned as a wheel fountain in a document as early as 1375 and gives its name to Raderstraße. However, the well water was very calcareous and unsuitable for drinking . In the Middle Ages there was a superstition that an evil spirit living in a well had to be appeased by animal sacrifices so that the wells of Reval would not run dry. Sheep and goats, but above all cats, were drowned there. This custom was abandoned during the Enlightenment. The fountain remained in use until the middle of the 19th century, but was then closed. The fountain structure was removed, but later restored.
literature
- Valeri Sepp, Tallinn History of an Unusual City , Felistella, Estonia 2013, ISBN 978-9949-9264-8-0 , page 35.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Volker Hagemann, Riga Tallinn Vilnius: The capitals and the most beautiful travel destinations in the Baltic States , Trescher Verlag, 2017, ISBN 9783897944091 , page 147
- ^ Sophie Dehio, Reval once and now , Verlag von Franz Kluge, Reval 1910, page 26
Coordinates: 59 ° 26 ′ 12.7 " N , 24 ° 44 ′ 33.9" E