Fountain of the knight banneret, Renaissance fountain in White Quarter, Bern, Switzerland.
The Vennerbrunnen stands on Rathausplatz in Bern's Old City, in front of the old city hall. A low rectangular stone basin lies before a tall square pillar of pale stone; a metal spout pours water into the basin and two metal pipes arc from the sides toward the centre. The pillar ends in a gold-and-green ornamented capital, below which red flowers with green foliage flank it, and is topped by a painted figure in dark armour and helmet holding a small flag on a staff.
The fountain was created in 1542 by artist Hans Gieng during the Swiss Renaissance. This work is part of a series of fountains that defined Bern's medieval cityscape.
The fountain depicts a figure in medieval armor that represented an important civic militia officer in Bern's community. This representation continues to shape the character of the square and reflects the role such leaders played in the city's past.
The fountain stands directly in front of the old city hall on Rathausplatz, in the lower part of Bern's Old City, a few minutes on foot from the Zytglogge clock tower. The spout feeds a low rectangular stone basin, so the water is easy to reach; the square is paved and level, with no steps between the fountain and the surrounding streets.
The statue on the fountain is a 1542 work by Hans Gieng, the sculptor behind several of Bern's Renaissance fountain figures. The Venner it portrays was chosen from a guild and was one of only two offices from which the city's Schultheiß, or lord mayor, could be elected.
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