Wittelsbacher Fountain (Munich Residence)

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Wittelsbacher Fountain in the Brunnenhof

The Wittelsbacher fountain in the fountain courtyard of the Munich Residence is one of the oldest and most elaborate fountains in Munich .

history

The fountain consists of personifications of the four main Bavarian rivers Danube , Isar , Inn and Lech in the figures of ancient river gods and tritons that are lined up around the pillar figure of Otto I from the Wittelsbach family. The statue could also represent the former Bavarian Duke Theodo. The four water figures lying on the edge of the pool are not specifically assigned to a river, but represent ancient deities and allegories for the four elements earth ( Demeter or Ceres), fire ( Hephaistus or Vulcanus), water ( Poseidon or Neptune) and air ( Hera or Juno ) and were originally created for the southern Residenzgarten.

The fountain was erected on this spot before 1610 by Maximilian I , who had acquired it from the inheritance of his uncle Duke Ferdinand (1550–1608). Before that, the fountain stood on his property at today's Rindermarkt . When the fountain was moved, Maximilian had the original equestrian statue replaced by a bronze statue of Duke Otto von Wittelsbach.

The bronze figures were made in Hubert Gerhard's workshop as early as 1611/14 and some of them come from the Georgsbrunnen at the Rindermarkt. The entire decoration of the complex was designed by the sculptor Hans Krumpper and was not completed until after 1623.

During the Second World War , the entire substructure was almost destroyed and part of the edge of the well basin was broken out. From 1947 the parts of the fountain were brought together again and from 1953 to 1955 the fountain was restored and the figures put up again. After 1984 all figures were replaced by casts.

The fountain is under monument protection within the entire ensemble of the residence .

See also

literature

  • Heinrich Habel, Johannes Hallinger, Timm Weski: State capital Munich - center (= Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation [Hrsg.]: Monuments in Bavaria . Volume I.2 / 1 ). Karl M. Lipp Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-87490-586-2 , p. 887 .

Web links

Commons : Wittelsbacherbrunnen (Münchner Residenz)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Norbert Lieb: Munich - The history of his art . 1984, p. 104 .
  2. ↑ File number D-1-62-000-5760

Coordinates: 48 ° 8 ′ 26.9 ″  N , 11 ° 34 ′ 44.9 ″  E