Taubenbrunnen / Pigeon Fountain

The first fountain constructed after WWII was also the city’s first abstract fountain. It was installed during the construction of the new Bank für Gemeinwirtschaft building (1951-1954), which has been the location of the Domforum since 1995. Ewald Mataré’s Pigeon Fountain is located on the north side of the building. The work got its name because it also functions as a birdbath. With its restrained, detailed, and finely composed design, it contrasts the imposing surrounding buildings.

Water trickles serenely from a basalt block through a spiral-shaped channel and then drains in the center of the circular fountain basin. A mosaic of black, gray, and blue triangles in geometric patterns serves as a transition between the stone basin and its surroundings. The iron railings around the installation echo the fountain’s spiral groove.