“Seventy-seven then seventy-seven-f,” someone mutters counting Findling, Berlin, 7-7/F. It is a natural monument. This Findling is more than just a stone. It is a piece of Berlin’s history.
Around 1980 construction workers unearthed this granite boulder. It weighed roughly 27 tons during construction in Fennpfuhl. The workers salvaged it. It was repurposed into a fountain.
Lothar Scholz designed the fountain. He was a building ceramicist and painter. The design featured the large Findling. Smaller Findlings and planted beds surrounded the base. Water bubbled from the stone’s top. It flowed down the concrete hill.
The fountain was also a playscape. Children could climb and explore it. The authorities planned the commission of a small fountain by Lothar Scholz. That was according to a concept from March 1980. But the discovery of the Findling changed the plans.
Soviet tanks transported the Findling. They moved it to the promenade. The location was at Anton Saefkow Platz. By October 1983 the Findling stood on a high pedestal. The VEB landscaping built the water reservoirs. The Findling fountain began operating on May 23 1984. It was alongside Jürgen Karnopp’s ball fountain.
The original installation measured about 8.0 x 8.0 meters. The concrete hill was 0.80 meters high. Klinker paving surrounded the fountain. Its first location was southeast of its current spot.
Unfortunately, the fountain was shut down in 1991. The reason was cost. In 1993 extensive damage appeared on the concrete base. Cracks and dampness occurred. Biogenic growth was visible. Yet, the fountain still worked.
In 1996, closure threatened again. The district faced financial constraints. The Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Lichtenberg stepped in. It found sponsors for five Lichtenberg fountains. This initiative kept the Findling flowing a little longer.
The Anton-Saefkow-Platz was redesigned in 2008. They relocated the Findling. It sits without a base or water connection.
Today the Findling stands as a reminder. It is a reminder of Berlin’s past. It is a testament to art and urban development. The Findling is a landmark. It embodies the city’s spirit. The spirit is of transformation and resilience.