Look for a bronze fountain rising from a round stone basin, topped by a draped nymph and dotted with playful figures on a dolphin, a turtle, and a goose.
This is the Broderbrunnen on Lindenplatz, and it marks a very practical triumph with gloriously impractical flair. On the first of May, eighteen ninety-five, Lake Constance water reached homes in St. Gallen for the first time. To celebrate, sculptor August Bösch created this fountain near the Multertor, funded by a bequest from cantonal judge Hans Broder. So yes... a monument to modern water supply that is almost useless for actually collecting water.
At the top stands a nymph in a very thin cloth, flanked by two reclining nymphs below. Tradition says Bösch brought in a nude model from Zurich, the police objected, and only his stubborn refusal to continue won him artistic freedom. If you check your screen, you can see how theatrical Bösch made the whole composition. The originals grew fragile, so restorers made bronze copies in two thousand, and the originals moved to the Historical Museum. This fountain keeps watch day and night.
A city can reveal itself in the way it celebrates water.
Take a moment here, and when you’re ready, we can continue to the old town.
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