Schängelbrunnen in Koblenz, Bronze fountain in Willi-Hörter-Platz, Koblenz, Germany

The Schängelbrunnen is a fountain with an octagonal basin made from Eifel basalt lava, decorated with reliefs showing scenes of children. The carvings depict young people playing and engaging in everyday activities typical of life in the city.

The fountain was created in 1941 by sculptor Carl Burger. It survived World War II with minimal damage and escaped the metal collections of that era.

The name Schängel came about during French occupation and referred to local children, derived from the French name Jean. Today visitors see the basin decorated with scenes of children playing and enjoying their daily life in the city.

The fountain sits between the Rhine and Moselle rivers in the Old Town and is accessible from multiple directions. Water shoots up several meters every three minutes, so visitors can enjoy it at any time of day.

The bronze boy was modelled on Rudolf Dany, an 11-year-old from Mayen, who was paid 50 pfennig per sitting by sculptor Carl Burger. The figure was cast in Munich in late 1939 or early 1940 and survived the wartime metal collections. Every three minutes it spits a jet of water several metres beyond the basin, so bystanders can get soaked.