Barbarossa-Brunnen

Kneeling before you, at the Barbarossa-Brunnen, is a man. He holds a tiny house, clutched protectively between his knees. This isn’t just any fountain. It’s a story etched in stone and water, a tale of the Barbarossahöhe settlement. The Barbarossa-Brunnen sits at the intersection of Welfenallee and Olwenstraße. It marks a peaceful resting spot, designed as part of the settlement’s perimeter. The fountain itself is two-tiered. It features an irregular basin of colorful granite stones and a tall, square pillar of the same material. Atop this pillar sits the kneeling figure, carved from Muschelkalk, eternally presenting his small house. He’s dressed simply in work trousers. Look closer at the figure’s seat. You’ll see the tools of a master builder: a compass and a set square. The architect Paul Poser designed the Barbarossa-Brunnen, along with the houses of the Barbarossahöhe settlement. The fountain was built between 1926 and 1927. The Vaterländischer Bauverein eGmbH commissioned both the settlement and this tranquil space. Poser, a trained stonemason, might have even worked on the fountain’s construction himself. The inscription on the pedestal confirms the dates and the builder. Time took its toll, but in 1985, the Berlin sculptor Dietrich Starcke restored the Barbarossa-Brunnen to its former glory. On May 10th, 1985, the water flowed again, continuing the story. So next time you pass the Barbarossa-Brunnen, remember the kneeling figure, the master builder’s tools, and the tale of a settlement built on a hill.