Gazing upon the Großer Kugelbrunnen, can you envision its vibrant past? This fountain, a centerpiece of the Freizeit- und Erholungszentrum’s main entrance, isn’t just a display of water and stone. It’s a fusion of granite, concrete, ceramic mosaics, and stainless steel, a testament to the artistic vision of Ortraud Lerch, Hans-Joachim Kunsch, and Günter Stahn. The Großer Kugelbrunnen’s design is captivating. Six hexagonal sections form a circular basin, resembling an abstract flower. A hexagonal platform rises from the center, each corner pointing towards the middle of a surrounding hexagon. Six three-sided prisms, with softened edges, ascend towards the center, increasing in height as they approach the middle. The “Brunnenblume,” or fountain flower, is the star. Mounted on a cylinder and stainless steel framework, it consists of a bowl collecting water from multiple fountains and a sphere resting atop the slender cylinder. Both bowl and sphere are covered in “scale-like” stainless steel plates. The Großer Kugelbrunnen was brought to life in 1979. Architect Günter Stahn designed it, and Hans-Joachim Kunsch, owner of “Kunsch Metallbau,” constructed it. The mosaics adorning the basin are Ortraud Lerch’s work. This fountain was part of a larger project. It was built for the 30th anniversary of the GDR, alongside the Pionierpalast “Ernst Thälmann,” now the main building of the Freizeit- und Erholungszentrum. Sadly, technical issues, including damage to the concrete basin, silenced the Großer Kugelbrunnen in 2013. However, a two-phase restoration project, timed for the fountain’s 40th anniversary, aimed to bring it back to life. The first phase, completing in September 2018, promised the fountain’s return. The Großer Kugelbrunnen stands as a symbol of resilience and artistic collaboration, a hidden gem waiting to be rediscovered.
Genossenschaft PA58
From 1981 the Genossenschaft PA58 stands tall. It’s a self-managed house project. This is its story. This impressive building in