Postmichelbrunnen Esslingen

The Postmichelbrunnen is a fountain at Fischbrunnenplatz featuring a bronze statue of a post rider on horseback and surrounding stone reliefs. The sculptural elements display scenes and figures rendered in careful detail, creating a layered narrative carved into the monument's surface.

The fountain was installed in 1916 and initially sparked disagreement among residents regarding how the horse was positioned. Its creation marked a significant moment in shaping the city's public spaces and visual character during the early 20th century.

The fountain tells the story of post rider Michel Banhard, a local figure whose life unfolds in the stone reliefs surrounding the monument. The narrative draws from a prose tale from the 1800s that remains part of the city's local memory.

The fountain sits at Fischbrunnenplatz in the heart of the old town and works well as a reference point when walking through the historic district. You can view the monument easily from nearby streets and get a complete sense of its sculptural details from ground level.

The reliefs tell an unusual tale: a post rider executed for murder supposedly continued his search for justice as a ghost. This local legend adds a darker and more unusual layer to what might first appear as an ordinary monument.