Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, Renaissance fountain in Römerberg, Frankfurt, Germany.

The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen is an octagonal red sandstone fountain on the Römerberg, topped by a bronze figure of Justitia cast in 1887. She holds a raised object in her right hand and a small balance in her left, and wears no blindfold. Four nymphs sit at the corners of the pedestal, water flowing from their breasts.

A first fountain on this spot was built in 1543, with the octagonal basin that remains the oldest element. The present form dates from 1611, when the sculptor Johann Kochheisen carved a sandstone Justice and Philipp Uffenbach painted it. That figure was restored in 1863 and removed in 1872; the bronze statue now seen was cast in 1887, paid for by the wine merchant Gustav Manskopf.

The figure is Justitia, shown without the usual blindfold. During Holy Roman Empire coronations the fountain ran with white or red wine, paid for by the new emperor, first for him and then for the people. Its image is a common backdrop for German television reports on court cases.

The fountain stands in the middle of the Römerberg, opposite the Römer, so it is reached on foot from the surrounding old town lanes. The octagonal basin and its iron fence sit at ground level in the open square, and the bronze figure can be viewed from all sides. The square is a public space used year-round, including during the Christmas market.

The four figures at the pedestal corners are spring nymphs; water pours from their breasts, a motif read as fertility. The statue of Justice is blindfolded in most depictions, but here her eyes are bare. Since 2007 the bronze figure has been cleaned and restored.