Is that a water tower or a Roman column? Here stands the Merkursäule. It is also known as the Alter Wasserturm. This landmark has a rich history and some surprising secrets.
The Alter Wasserturm was built in 1598. Heinrich Schickhardt designed it. Since 1862, a gilded statue of Mercury has crowned the tower. The tower connects to the northeast corner of the Old Chancellery. The Old Chancellery is a building between Schillerplatz and Schlossplatz.
Look closely at the Alter Wasserturm’s design. The corner tower is shaped like an Ionic column. Wendel Dietterlin designed its richly ornamented capital. A grid-protected viewing platform sits above it. The column ends in a stump with a hemisphere. A “Floating Mercury” statue touches it with one foot.
Did you notice the Kosakenbrünnele leaning against the base? It is designed as a wall fountain. The Alter Wasserturm was once called the Dorische Wassersäule. This is despite its Ionic capital.
The Merkursäule stands diagonally opposite the Old Castle’s northwest entrance. It aligns with the Collegiate Church and Jubilee Column. The Old Chancellery’s roof ridge reaches the viewing platform’s height.
The Alter Wasserturm rests on a sturdy base. The base is about five meters high and 2.5 meters wide. It has a square footprint with beveled corners. Three bands divide the base. A wooden door on the right side leads inside. Sadly, the interior is not open to the public.
Heinrich Schickhardt’s design features entasis. Entasis is the slight swelling of a classical column. The Alter Wasserturm is made of hewn stone. Five slit-like openings run vertically. Inside, a spiral staircase leads to the viewing platform.
Wendel Dietterlin’s Ionic capital features volutes. These are the scroll-like ornaments at the corners. Renaissance-style ornaments decorate it. French lilies are a main motif.
The viewing platform was originally protected by an ornate wrought-iron grid. Today, a simple bar grid surrounds the platform. A cylindrical stump rises from the platform. A rosette ribbon wraps around it. The stump ends with a corbel-supported plate. Leaf ornaments adorn the plate. The “Floating Mercury” statue stands on a fluted hemisphere.
The “Floating Mercury” statue replaced a water tank in 1862. Ludwig von Hofer copied Giovanni Bologna’s bronze Mercury from 1580. The statue shows Mercury as a strong athletic figure. His winged feet and helmet signify his divine mission. His left foot touches the hemisphere. His right arm points to the heavens.
Hofer’s Mercury differs from Bologna’s. Hofer’s Mercury dances on a hemisphere. Bologna’s statue balances on an air column. The original zinc cast statue was damaged in World War II. In 1995, a gilded bronze cast replaced it.
The Kosakenbrünnele is a sandstone wall fountain. It leans against the Alter Wasserturm. The fountain is about 2.5 meters high and 1.7 meters wide. A girl’s head in the center spouts water into the basin. Legend says Cossacks watered their horses there in 1814. The fountain was originally to the right of the tower. It was moved after the Mercury statue was installed.
Duke Friedrich commissioned the Alter Wasserturm in 1598. It supplied water to the pleasure garden and Old Castle fountains. In the 1860s, King Wilhelm I ordered the water tank removed. He wanted a copy of Bologna’s Mercury.
The Alter Wasserturm stands as a testament to Stuttgart’s history. Its blend of architectural styles and artistic details make it unique. From its practical origins to its symbolic representation, it is an icon. As you leave, remember the stories and secrets held within this remarkable structure.