Weltkugelbrunnen, Fountain and sculpture group at Breitscheidplatz, Charlottenburg, Germany.
The Weltkugelbrunnen is a water feature in front of the Europa-Center on Breitscheidplatz, made of several carved blocks of red granite forming a roughly hemispherical base 8.5 metres across, set in a pool 16 metres in diameter. Characters from different cultures are cut into the stone globe, and a bronze water channel with five scenes runs in the south-eastern stairway.
The fountain was built in 1983 after an open design competition won by Berlin sculptor Joachim Schmettau, who executed the sculptural work with Susanne Wehland. It opened on 12 August 1983 as part of the redesign of the area between Breitscheidplatz and the Europa-Center, planned by architects Ivan Krusnik and Oskar Reith. Since 2019 it has not run, awaiting a renovation estimated at around one million euros.
The fountain is popularly called "Wasserklops" (water dumpling), and its granite globe carries characters from different cultures. A bronze water channel in the south-east stairway shows five scenes: mountains, alpine pasture, cityscape, landfill and mermaids. North of the main basin, about 15 m away, stands the Kleine Brunnen with the bronze figure Spiel mit Marionette.
The fountain sits directly in front of the Europa-Center on Breitscheidplatz. A staircase around the 16-metre pool leads down to the Europa-Center's basement level, not a car park. The basin has been out of operation since 2019, so expect dry granite rather than running water.
The fountain has been out of operation since 2019, and its planned restoration is estimated at around one million euros, with no date set. The five bronze scenes in the southeast stairway are titled Gebirge, Alm, Stadtlandschaft, Mülldeponie and Nixen. About 15 metres north of the main basin stands the Kleine Brunnen with the bronze figure Spiel mit Marionette.
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