Almost every square and some streets in Bern are decorated with small fountains, created according to one pattern: a column rises above a small bowl, on which some colourful figure is mounted. These characters were mostly made by the famous sculptor Hans Ging in the 16th century.
Fountains, which were fed by natural springs, appeared in Bern as early as the 13th century. According to the city archives, at the end of the fourteenth century, there were five fountains in the city with clean and tasty water available to all the inhabitants of Bern. Only one fountain, called the Eternal Fountain (Stettbrunner), has survived from those times. Until 1520 there were only wooden fountains in Bern. At the beginning of the XVI century, the first stone fountain appeared in the city. In just 4 years - from 1542 to 1546 - the city authorities carried out a huge work, removing all the wooden fountains and installing stone fountains in their place. It is to this period that the sculptures of Hans Ging, which crown many of the fountains, belong. In addition to the reconstruction of the fountains, a special service was organised at the city administration to keep the fountains clean and in good working order.
In the 19th century, some fountains built right in the middle of the streets were moved closer to the walls so that they would not interfere with traffic. The reconstruction of the fountains in 1925 was made possible by a generous donation from local resident Henry Philippe.
Many fountains are associated with urban legends. For example, the people of Bern believe that the Child Eater fountain is set above a secret passage between two monasteries - a male and female monastery - and symbolises the dead children born of sinful liaisons. And the Samson fountain, according to the idea of the butchers' guild that paid for its construction, embodies a representative of their profession.
