Behold the Carolus-Brunnen a testament to Frankfurt’s history. This isn’t just any fountain. It’s a story etched in iron a tribute to Charlemagne himself.
The Carolus-Brunnen located on Wendelsplatz in Sachsenhausen began its life not here but as a dream. Sculptor Fritz Boehle envisioned a grand equestrian statue of Charlemagne a magnificent monument for the new Main bridge. This was in 1907 Boehle presenting his plan to Mayor Adickes. Boehle’s design was to be a monumental fountain. It was meant to stand in contrast to another Charlemagne statue by Carl von Wendelstadt. That statue stood on the Alte Brucke.
Boehle’s vision was never fully realized for the Main bridge. Only a clay model survived. Yet the idea lived on. In 1965 the Binding Brewery cast the sculpture in iron. They placed it in front of their Sachsenhausen building.
Years passed. Then in 1976 sixty years after Boehle’s death the statue found its final home. It became the centerpiece of a fountain installation. This was part of Sachsenhausen’s 486th Brunnenfest or fountain festival. Today the fountain basin is dry filled with earth and plants thriving where water once flowed.
Boehle’s design for the Carolus-Brunnen became a symbol for Binding’s Carolus strong beer. The inscription reads CAROLUS-REITER GESTIFTET VON DER BINDING BRAUEREI AG. Beneath that another inscription appears CAROLUS-BRUNNEN ERSTELLT DURCH DIE KERBE-GESELLSCHAFT EV SACHSENHAUSEN 1976.
So here you stand before a piece of Frankfurt’s history. A story of artistic vision bureaucratic delays and a fortunate second life. A story only the Carolus-Brunnen can tell. A story that blends the past with the present a symbol of resilience and enduring legacy in the heart of Sachsenhausen.