Obelisk am Kasperlbach, commemorative obelisk in Mühlthal, Valley, Germany

The Obelisk am Kasperlbach is a 10.2-metre obelisk of squared stone blocks, erected in 1883 above the original spring of the Kasperlbach at 625 m above sea level, about 20 m above the valley floor near Mühlthal. It stands on the masonry access to the drainage tunnel of the hillside spring capture. A slightly wider base, set off by a cornice, carries a commemorative plaque.

The monument was built in 1883 to honor the securing of the Kasperlbach spring for Munich's water supply between 1881 and 1883. The project came after outbreaks of diseases like cholera and typhus that forced the city to find reliable drinking water sources in the surrounding hills.

The obelisk's commemorative plaque carries an inscription written by Munich mayor Alois von Erhardt, who headed the city when the Mangfalltal springs were tapped. The monument marks the Kasperlbach spring, the first of the hillside springs captured for the city's supply. Since 1883 it has stood as one of the stations on the M-Wasserweg, a themed trail on Munich's drinking water.

The monument sits next to a small tunnel entrance and is easy to reach via walking paths through the valley, especially if you follow the stream. Information panels on site explain the water system and the site's importance, making a visit easier to understand.

Water from this spring still flows through underground tunnels to Munich today and supplies the city with drinking water. The obelisk is therefore not just a historical memory but continues to connect the past with the city's present water supply.