Merkurbrunnen, Bielefeld

The Mercury Fountain in Bielefeld is the work of Herbert Volwahsen. The 5.50-meter-long stone bowl was erected in 1963 in front of Bankhaus Lampe on the Alter Markt in Bielefeld as the culmination of reconstruction after World War II. Designed entirely in the style of the 1960s, the fountain soon became a landmark in the city. On a bronze semicircle, resembling a globe, the 2.70 m tall Mercury floats in a moving pose, holding his staff in his right hand. At the helmet and at the sandals, only scarcely indicated, the small wings are recognizable. The clouds over which the Greek god floats are symbolized by small fountains of water.

In the course of the redesign of Bielefeld's pedestrian zone, the Merkur fountain was moved from the Alter Markt to Bunnemannplatz in front of the Mercure Hotel in 2005. There were also protests against this move.