Drawn to this place by whispers of history, here we are at the Wrangelbrunnen. It stands gracefully at Grimmstraße and Urbanstraße in Berlin-Kreuzberg. But its story began elsewhere.
Once upon a time, the Wrangelbrunnen resided in Kemperplatz. That was its home after its creation in 1877. Picture the scene. The unveiling was a celebrated event. The fountain was named to honor the Prussian Field Marshal Friedrich von Wrangel. He was fondly known as Papa Wrangel.
Fast forward twenty-five years. The city decided to move the Wrangelbrunnen. The reason was simple. The Rolandbrunnen needed its place. So, in 1902, the Wrangelbrunnen found its new home here.
Take a closer look at the fountain. It is about 6.5 meters tall. The basin has a diameter of approximately 7 meters. The sculptor Hugo Hagen designed it. The bronze figures were created by Hermann Gladenbeck. The fountain features two bowls. They sit in a circular marble basin.
Notice the figures at the base. They represent Prussia’s main rivers. There is the Rhine. He is the only male figure. He carries a sword. The other three are female figures. They represent the Weichsel, the Elbe, and the Oder.
Each river has its own symbol. Interpretations vary slightly. One interpretation says the Elbe holds a paddle steamer. The Oder features a gate from the Küstrin fortress. The Weichsel symbolizes rafting with a rudder. Another interpretation says the Weichsel holds a bridge gate from Dirschau. The Elbe has a rudder. The Oder is symbolized by a paddle steamer. It also holds a weaver’s shuttle.
Above these figures, observe the four putti. Again, interpretations differ. They may represent arts, science, trade, and industry. Others say they embody arts, trade, agriculture, and defense. Water springs from a bronze pine cone into the small bowl above them.
Interestingly, the later Neptunbrunnen in Berlin also personifies these same four rivers. Theodor Fontane mentioned the Wrangelbrunnen in his letters. The Wrangelbrunnen even appears in two of Fontane’s novels. They are Cécile and Irrungen, Wirrungen.
The Wrangelbrunnen has seen Berlin change. It stood at Kemperplatz. It watched as the Victory Column stood along the Siegesallee. Now it graces this corner of Kreuzberg. The Wrangelbrunnen links us to Berlin’s past. It reminds us of the city’s artistic heritage.