Datterich Fountain, Bronze fountain sculpture in Darmstadt, Germany
Datterich Fountain is a bronze sculpture north of the Justus-Liebig-House on Kleinschmidt-Steg. It shows small figures attached to a large metal wheel that can spin, with a tall stage curtain shape behind them instead of a water spout.
The sculpture was placed here in 1982 after plans for the spot were changed. During a shopping center renovation in 1996 it was dismantled, repaired in Aachen, and reassembled without its original water function.
The characters on the wheel come from Datterich, a local stage comedy that made fun of everyday small-town manners. You can still see people smile and imitate the figures' poses, keeping that old theatrical humor alive in a public corner.
The bronze surface has many edges and moving parts, so it is easiest to appreciate by walking slowly around the piece. Since the wheel turns, visitors should keep an eye on children when they reach out to touch it.
Although it is called a fountain, water no longer runs through it because the central column was replaced by a bronze stage curtain. Many passersby do not notice that the limbs on the small figures are jointed and can be moved by hand.
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