Hühnerdieb, Bronze fountain monument in Hühnermarkt, Aachen, Germany
Hühnerdieb is a bronze sculpture on Hühnermarkt square in Aachen, depicting a thief who realizes in shock that he has stolen a rooster instead of a hen. The figure stands on a limestone base, around which small bronze chick figures serve as water spouts.
The sculptor Hermann Joachim Pagels created the original work in 1913, but it was melted down in 1943 during World War II. The current piece was cast in 1953 using Pagels' surviving plaster model.
The sculpture stands on Hühnermarkt, a square whose name recalls the poultry trade that once took place there. The scene shows a thief realizing he grabbed a rooster instead of a hen, giving the square a humorous character that locals and visitors still enjoy today.
The monument stands on a central square in Aachen's old town and can be visited at any time free of charge. It is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding streets and can be viewed from several angles around the base.
The small chick figures at the base, which act as water spouts, survived the war undamaged while the main figure was lost. They were simply reintegrated into the new fountain when the work was rebuilt in 1953.
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