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Reiherbrunnen

From Stadtwiki Baden-Baden

Reiherbrunnen

Infos
Type Fountain

Creator Karl Albiker
Date of Construction 1908

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The Reiherbrunnen (Herons Fountain) is a thermal water fountain in the Sophienstraße. The Karlsruhe sculptor Karl Albiker (1878-1961) designed the fountain in the Art Nouveau style. Three bronze herons are sitting at the edge of the fountain basin. The one in the middle has spread his wings and the thermal water is running out of his beak. Especially in the winter, when the ground is completly covered with snow, the snow-free Reiherbrunnen is a real eye-catcher. Originally the fountain was built in a differnt location. From its inauguration on 10 October 1908[1] until 1966 it was located at the Sonnenplatz. After the fountain had been hit by several cars in the 1960s, it was moved to a niche store at the corner Sophienstraße/Stephanienstraße. During the preparation for the Landesgartenschau 1981 the fountain was moved again to its current position in the central axis of the avenue. While the water of the Reiherbrunnen had a temperature of 42°C in 1992, it was cooled down to only 28°C in October 2012. This is due to a law that classifies thermal water from public fountains as drinking water. As the concentration of arsenic was above the legal limit, the fountains are now supplied with pre-filtered water originating from different thermal springs. Also the long pipeline from the source at the Friedrichsbad to the fountain the Sophienstraße is blamed for some of the cooling.[2] In early August 2013 some unknowns damaged the fountain. They demolished the central heron.[3]

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Footnotes:

  1. Article Begehrtes Foto- und Postkartenmotiv von Karl Reinbothe in the newspaper Badisches Tagblatt 03.11.2012
  2. Article Arsen: Brunnen sprudeln kühler by Karl Reinbothe in the newspaper Badisches Tagblatt 16.01.2013
  3. Article about the demolition by Christian Frietsch on goodnews4.de 11.08.2013