Läuferbrunnen, Renaissance fountain in Mattequartier, Switzerland.
Läuferbrunnen is a fountain on Läuferplatz in Bern's Old City, near the Nydegg Church. Its painted limestone group shows a bearded man in a black tunic, red sleeves, hose and cloak, with a broad-brimmed hat and a staff over his shoulder; a dark-skinned child stands beside his left leg. The figures stand on a rough stone base above a shallow octagonal grey basin.
Hans Gieng and his journeymen carved the fountain figure around 1545; it first stood in front of the last house on Nydeggstalden. Until the 17th century it was called Staldenbrunnen or Brunnen beim Untern Tor, after the nearby city gate at the Untertorbrücke. In 1827 it was moved to its present site on Läuferplatz, where a washhouse had stood. The figure seen today is a 1953 copy; the original is in the Historisches Museum Bern.
The figure is a herald or fast messenger travelling on foot, hence "Läufer"; he wears Bern's coat of arms on his chest, carries the runner's pike on his shoulder and the runner's rifle on his back, and grips a short sword. A bear cub, also equipped as a messenger, walks ahead of him. Until the 17th century the fountain was called Staldenbrunnen or Brunnen beim Untern Tor.
This fountain is located in the Mattequartier and offers a convenient spot for visitors exploring the Old City to stop and drink fresh water. The location is easily reached on foot and sits along paths that travelers naturally encounter while walking through historic streets.
The figure on the fountain is a 1953 copy; the original carved by Hans Gieng around 1545 is kept in the Historisches Museum of Bern. The child walking ahead of the runner carries the same messenger equipment, a detail easily missed from the square.
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