Merkursäule, Historic column near Schillerplatz, Stuttgart, Germany

The Merkursäule is a historic column located near Schillerplatz in central Stuttgart, distinguished by its tall silhouette and gilded Mercury statue crowning the top. The structure combines structural design with artistic ornamentation and serves as a visual landmark in the street between Schillerplatz and Planie.

The column was built in 1598 to designs by Heinrich Schickhardt as a water tower attached to the northeast corner of the Alte Kanzlei. In 1862 the water tank on top was replaced by a gilded figure of the floating Mercury, modelled by court sculptor Ludwig von Hofer after Giovanni Bologna's bronze of 1580. The original zinc casting was damaged in World War II and replaced in 1995 by a gilded bronze cast from the Strassacker art foundry in Süssen.

The column is named after Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, a fitting patron for the trading city of Stuttgart. Visitors can still admire the detailed craftsmanship of the capital, created by artist Wendel Dietterlin, which shows the skilled artistry of the Renaissance period.

The column stands at the northeast corner of the Alte Kanzlei, on the line between the Stiftskirche and the Jubiläumssäule, opposite the northwest entrance of the Altes Schloss. A wooden door on its right side leads inside, but the interior and the spiral staircase to the viewing platform are not open to the public.

The gilded figure is a 1995 bronze cast by the Strassacker art foundry in Süssen, replacing a zinc statue damaged in World War II. Sculptor Ludwig von Hofer had copied it from Giambologna's bronze Mercury of 1580, adding gilding and setting it on a half-sphere instead of a column of air.