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Schängelbrunnen

Schängel ('Little Jean') Fountain

Carl Burger
1941

Description

Bronze statue of a boy, spitting at intervals water. The boy stands on a column with the portraits of j. cornelius and k. kraehmer and the coats of arm of Koblenz (the fourth face is blank). The columns stands in an octagonal fountain basin with reliefs of playing boys and pranks of the young rascals.

The two portraits:

Koblenz - Schängelbrunnen
1. Josef Cornelius
2. Karl Wilhelm Kraehmer

Josef Cornelius (Koblenz 1849 - Koblenz 1943), local poet, wrote the Schängellied (Schängel Song) for the 1914 carnival (Wikipedia).
Karl Wilhelm Kraehmer (1874-1918), local composer, wrote the music for the Schängellied (Schängel Song).

Koblenz - Schängelbrunnen
Boy cocking a snook to a old lady with dog. Background: Alter Burg and Balduin Bridge.
Smoking boy and boy holding a pole (?). Background: St. Kastor church.

Two boys marching with swords.
Boy playing with a ball and a dog.

Two boys, one with sword.
Two fighting boys
Koblenz - Schängelbrunnen
Boy firing peashooters at birds.
Two boys and a little girl with a doll.

Inscription(s)

Schängelbrunnen
Der Koblenzer Lausbub "Schängel" ('Schang' von Französisch
'Jean') gilt als Symbol unserer Stadt.

Schängel Fountain
The little rascal from Koblenz "Schängel" (diminutive from
'Schang' from French 'Jean') is regarded as the symbol of our
town.

La Fontaine du Schängel
Le petit gamin de Coblence "Schängel" (diminutif de 'Schang' du
français 'Jean') est consideréré comme symbole de notre ville.

Fontaine delle Schängel
"Schängel": lo 'scugnizzo' di Coblenza (diminutivo di 'Schang'
dal francese 'Jean') è considerato il simbolo della nostra città

Fuente del Schängel
"Schängel", pilluelo de Coblen za (diminutivo de 'Schang' del
francès 'Jean') es considerado el simbolo de nuestra ciudad.

Gestiftet vom Koblenzer Bürger- u. Verkehrsverein e.V.

Signature

Statue: carl | burger | 39
Reliefs: c. burger | mayen | ...

Annotation

The term 'Schängel' has its origin in the 1920's. Primarily, it was used to indicate children with a German mother and a French father. Back then, the most current boy names were 'Hans' or 'Johann', or 'Jean' in French. The correct pronounciation of Jean was difficult for Germans, thus it ended up as 'Schang', which was transformed to 'Schängel' (initially considered as an insult). However, nowadays 'Schängel' is an honorific title and every man born in Koblenz is proudly engaged to call him- or herself a 'Schängel'. Frequently, they even add a diminituve suffix and make it 'Schängelche'.

The model for the statue was 11-year-old Rudolf Dany from Mayen, who was paid 50 Pfennig for each session.

Koblenz - Schängelbrunnen

Sculptor

Carl Burger (Tännesberg 1875 - Mayen 1950), German sculptor of Aachen (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Liste der Brunnen in Koblenz.
Wikipedia, Schängelbrunnen.
Wikipedia, Schängel.
Bilder Koblenz, Schängel.
Discoveryblog Koblenz, Kowelenzer Originale (Koblenz Originals).

Locatie (N 50°21'36" - E 7°35'53") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: derp242; Photograph: 1 November 2015
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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Boy cocking a snook to a old lady with dog. Background: Alter Burg and Balduin Bridge.	Smoking boy and boy holding a pole (?). Background: St. Kastor church.
Two boys marching with swords.	Boy playing with a ball and a dog.
Two boys, one with sword.	Two fighting boys
Boy firing peashooters at birds.	Two boys and a little girl with a doll.