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Frankfurt am Main
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Liebfrauenberg

Liebfrauenberg-Brunnen

Fountain at Our Ladies Hill

Joh. Michael Datzerath
1770

Frankfurt am Main / Liebfrauenberg-Brunnen

Description

Obelisk with a gilded sun at the top, standing on a square base in an oval fountain basin.

At the lower part of the obelisk are three reliefs of putti representing virtues:

Liberty, putto with freedom hat and a broken chain.
Justice, putto with scales an a sword.
Prudence, putto with mirror and snakes.

Frankfurt am Main - Liebfrauenberg-Brunnen
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2
3

The fourth side shows the coat of arms of the City of Frankfurt.

Frankfurt am Main - Liebfrauenberg-Brunnen

On the sides of the base the river gods Moenus and Rhenus (Main and Rhine) pour water from jugs in a shell basin resting on the crossed bodies of dolphins. From the shell basin the water flows down into the actual fountain basin. From the mouths of the dolphins additional water flows in a direct way into the pool.

Frankfurt am Main - Liebfrauenberg-Brunnen

Inscription(s)

Labrum hoc aquarum
Salientium
Quod temporum iniuria
confractum esset
Senatus Populusque
Francofurtensis
in publica commoda
restitui ornarique
fecerunt

Curantibus Ædilibus
Io. Dan. ab Olenschlager Scab.
Gottliebio Ettling I.V.L.
Io. Georgio Rau Senatoribus
Architecto Io. Andrea Liebhard.
MDCCLXX.

Annotation

The originals of the statues of the river gods are located in the park of the Liebieghaus.

Sculptor

Joh. Michael Datzerath (Winden/Düren 1705 - Frankfurt am Main 1783), German sculptor (Kunst im öffentlichen Raum).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Liste von Brunnen in Frankfurt am Main.
Wikipedia, Liebfrauenberg (Frankfurt am Main).
Frankfurt und seine Bauten (Frankfurt: Frankfurter Architekten- und Ingenieurverein, 1886), p. 372-373 (Internet Archive).
Carl Wolff, Rudolf Jung, Die Baudenkmäler in Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt: Frankfurter Architekten- und Ingenieurverein, 1898), p. 361-363 (Internet Archive).

Locatie (N 50°6'45" - E 8°40'53") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: dehs205; Photograph: 28 September 2014
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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