Simson Fountain (Gera)

The Simson Fountain

The Simsonbrunnen is a fountain in the middle of the Gera market. The fountain figure represents the biblical lion-slayer Samson (or Simson).

history

The sandstone fountain was built in 1685 by the sculptor Caspar Junghans the Elder. Ä. from Rochlitz created and placed 1686th The original version was made of Falka sandstone . Originally located in a corner of the market, it was placed in the center of the market in 1823. Up to this time there was also an inscription on the base, which gave the names of the sculptor and the fourteen councilors from Gera. Until 1797 it was fed by a water pipe branching off the Geraer Mühlgraben, then by a deep well built in 1709 at the town hall .

On the night of January 12th to 13th 1930, the figure, which had been heavily weathered over the centuries, was destroyed by a storm. To restore the fountain, Gera associations formed a committee to restore the Simson fountain, chaired by Pastor Franz Simcik. Thanks to donations from the population in the then prosperous industrial city, the figure was faithfully reproduced and re-erected in 1932. It was ceremoniously handed over on April 24, 1932. This version of the fountain consisted of Lower Franconian shell limestone from Kirchheim and was created by the Gera sculptor Ewald Tympel with the assistance of his son Rudolf and the sculptors Fritz Kröner (Würzburg), Otto Oettel (Gera) and Otto Hager.

As early as 1979, however, the fountain figure was replaced by another copy made by the Gera sculptor Heinz Plath.