You’ll spot the Fountain of Friendship right ahead, with its big sculpted globe and stylized metal volcano surrounded by spraying water, set in the middle of a wide, stone-paved plaza.
Alright, take a deep breath and listen closely-because the story bubbling up from this fountain is as lively as the water itself! Imagine: you’re standing on Schumannplatz, but if you were here over a century ago, you’d be looking at a grand Bismarck monument. Fast-forward to the 1950s, and suddenly you’d find the Pavilion of German-Soviet Friendship-a hotspot of political symbolism and international handshakes. But the real showstopper arrived in 1986, when artists Erika Matthes and Joachim Harbort created this 120 square meter water wonder. It’s not just a fountain-it’s an artwork shaped like the world, a volcano, and the earth all tangled together, with 165 meters of pipes hidden under your feet.
The water first gushed out on August 21, 1986, and since then it’s been the city’s runner-up for splashiest fountain-only Schwanenteich’s got more flair. Weekends bring a twinkling treat: four LED jets light up the spray like the world’s happiest disco. But hey, even fountains get tired: in 2010, leaks forced it to dry up. The water waste! It was a cliffhanger until 2014, when a not-so-secret rescue operation poured in 170,000 euros, new pumps, and, finally, a happy ending. Now, three clever pumps keep everything flowing-like true friendship, always coming back to life even after the driest times. So go on, reach out and feel the cool mist: it’s history, art, and international high-fives-all in one!
