Gänseliesel-Brunnen Göttingen, Bronze fountain at Market Square, Germany.
The Gänseliesel fountain displays a bronze statue of a young girl tending geese beneath a neo-gothic shelter on Göttingen's Market Square. It sits directly in front of the medieval town hall and functions as a focal point in the center of the square.
The fountain was created in 1898 following a public competition that the design won in second place, created by Heinrich Stöckhardt and Paul Nisse. It replaced an earlier water source that had occupied the site since the 18th century.
The statue's name comes from an old folk song about a goose girl that was popular in the region. Today, visitors can see graduating students coming here to present flowers and kiss the figure as part of their celebration.
The fountain is located centrally on the Market Square and is easy to find and reach from anywhere. The plaza has accessible pathways and is wheelchair-friendly, making it comfortable for visitors with varying mobility needs to explore.
The original bronze statue is now kept in the town museum, while a cast replica continues to receive visits from graduates at the fountain location. The wear on the original sculpture from decades of kisses and embraces made this conservation measure necessary.
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