Hofbrunnwerk, Pumping station in Münchner Altstadt, Germany.
The Hofbrunnwerk is a historical pumping installation in the Altstadt-Lehel that uses groundwater through an underground conduit system. The facility consists of a pump room beneath the Hofgarten arcades and a turbine chamber on the northern side, which remains operational today.
The facility was built between 1615 and 1617 when Maximilian I expanded the original fountain works into a water tower to supply drinking water to the court and nearby city. In 1885, engineers replaced the traditional water wheels with advanced Girard turbines.
The Hofbrunnwerk shows how the court garden and the city were connected through water systems. Visitors can observe how an old facility still supplies water to the fountains in the adjacent park today.
Access to the facility is limited since it is located mainly beneath the Hofgarten arcades and can be reached via stairs nearby. Visitors should keep in mind that the rooms are underground and receive little natural light.
The system still works today using the Hofbrunnwerk canal and harnesses natural water power to supply the Hofgarten fountains. This combination of old architecture and a functioning historical water system makes it a rare example of living engineering history.
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