Duve-Brunnen, Monumental fountain in Mitte district of Hannover, Germany
The Duve-Brunnen is a monumental fountain along the Leibnizufer in Hannover featuring a central figure of a man casting seeds across an upper basin. Water flows from this basin and creates movement around the sower, forming the main visual element of this riverside installation.
The fountain was created in 1916 by sculptor Georg Herting as a tribute to Johann Duve, a merchant from the 1600s who helped develop the local area. After damage during wartime, the bronze sower figure was later restored and returned to its riverside location.
The sower figure at the center carries meaning tied to the city's merchant past and its rise as a trading hub during the early industrial era. Visitors walking the riverside often notice how this image of cultivation reflects values that shaped the neighborhood's development.
The fountain sits directly on the Leibnizufer promenade and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. It operates throughout the day with regular water flow and serves as a convenient stopping point while exploring the riverside.
The bronze sower figure was removed from the city during wartime and spent years away before being purchased to return and restore. What makes this survival remarkable is that the sculpture was nearly lost to the scrap metal industry but survived through a series of unexpected circumstances.
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