User:Hatsepueh/Bertoldsbrunnen

Bertoldsbrunnen
The Bertoldsbrunnen is a memorial of the historic district in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. It is located at the identically named junction where Bertold Street meets Kaiser-Joseph Street. The water well is one of the city's most central point. Right next to it, there is a tram station of the same name where all four tramways of the Freiburger Verkehrs AG stop.

History
Until 1806, the Fischbrunnen was located at the junction of Kaiser-Joseph Street and Salt Street. Because of the setting up of a new well, the old Fischbrunnen was relocated to the north towards Minster Street. It was destroyed in World War II and afterwards there was a copy placed on the northern side of the Minster Square.

In 1807, the new well was built in memory of the 5th of May 1806 on the road junction of Salt- and Kaiser-Joseph Street. On this day, the citizens of Freiburg swore an oath to their new electoral prince Karl Friedrich of Baden who should be promoted to the rank of Grand Duke in june 1806. However, the 'Memorial of the Dukes of Zähringen' was not only directed at Friedrich who hold the title Grand Duke of Baden and Duke of Zähringen. It was also a sign of adoration for other Dukes like Berthold III., founder of Freiburg, Kondrad I., builder of the Minster and Albert of Austria, donor of the University of Freiburg. This worship was expressed by Latin inscriptions on the pedestal of the well. Translated:


 * North Side:

CARLO FREDERICO MAGNO BADENSIUM DUCI, DUCUM ZARINGIAE PROLI, INTER IMPERANTES NESTORI, PRINCIPI OPTIMO GRATA CIVITAS FRIBURGENSIS MDCCCVII.

“To Karl Friedrich the Grand Duke of Baden, sprouted from the house of Zähringer, the eldest and best of Dukes, this memorial of Freyburg vows grateful citizenship in 1807.“

– MAYOR AND COUNCILS OF THE GRAND DUCAL CAPITAL OF BADEN FREYBURG IM BREISGAU[1]


 * East Side:

EN BERTOLDUM III ZARINGIAE DUCUM QUI FRIBURGUM CONDIDIT LIBERAM CONSTITUIT, PRIMAM CISRHENAM SUIS LEGIBUS VIVERE JUSSIT MCXX.

“Bertold the third Duke of Zaeringen, who built the City of Freyburg, ennobled it to the status of a courted city and provided it with municipal legislation, the first one of this kind on this side of the Rhine in 1120.“

– MAYOR AND COUNCILS OF THE GRAND DUCAL CAPITAL OF BADEN FREYBURG IM BREISGAU[1]

[...]

In 1888, the former octagonal basin of the monument was removed in order to ease the traffic and instead there was a basin attached on each side of the substructure which was designed by the sculptor Julius Seitz. The basin's carriers symbolized the four elements through stylized animal forms. In 1904, the fountain was furthermore moved 2,50m north in order to adapt to the changing tram lines. The Freiburger newspaper which stated that the Bertoldsbrunnen was still labelled as Fischbrunnen in colloquial speech at that time was incorrect since the Fischbrunnen was relocated in 1906 to a northern direction and kept its name continiously since then.

The Zähringer fountain was completely destroyed during a British airstrike on 27th November 1944. The sculptor Hugo Knittel offered to built a reconstruction of the fountain for free but the proposition was declinced by Joseph Schlippe, who was responsible for the rebuilding, because they wanted to built a 'timeless' fountain this time. Knittel's drafts were partly based on prewar photographs which were taken by Annemarie Brenzinger.

[...]