Taubenbrunnen

Ironically, the Taubenbrunnen, or Pigeon Fountain, wasn’t originally intended for this spot. Ewald Mataré designed it in 1950 as a drinking place for the pigeons at the train station. But fate, it seems, had other plans. The station forecourt belonged to the railway, not the city. So, the Taubenbrunnen found its home here, in front of Cologne Cathedral, thanks to the Bank für Gemeinwirtschaft who financed it. It’s hard to believe, looking at it now, that it was Cologne’s first abstract fountain, unveiled in 1953. The inauguration sounds like quite the event. A small “people’s festival,” as it was called, complete with the first verse of “La Paloma” playing as the water began to flow. A bottle of Steinhäger made its rounds through the crowd. A document signed by those present was sunk into the base, a testament to the pigeons “nesting on the towers of our cathedral.” Ironically, not a single pigeon showed up to the party. Take a moment to appreciate the details of the Taubenbrunnen. The oval mosaic field, made of blue, white, gray, and black triangles, creates a striking geometric pattern. Within this field sits a circular bronze trough. The water spirals inwards, originating from three small spouts on a basalt block. Notice the curved iron bars enclosing two sides, echoing the gentle curves of the water’s flow. It’s a subtle piece, easily overshadowed by the grandeur of the Cathedral and the towering concrete replica of its finial nearby. Yet, there’s a delicate beauty here, a quiet elegance that speaks to the artistry of Ewald Mataré. The Taubenbrunnen has seen its share of controversy. It was the center of a debate in the 1960s concerning the city’s pigeon population control methods. Even a poem was written about it, lamenting that pigeons preferred nearby puddles to the fountain itself. Today, the Taubenbrunnen remains a unique piece of Cologne’s history, a quiet tribute to the city’s resilience and artistic spirit, tucked away in the shadow of the magnificent Dom.