Child Eater Fountain (Kindlifresserbrunnen), A Chilling Medieval Fountain of Legends

Granary Place, Bern, Switzerland

The statue is very famous

Introduction

On Kornhausplatz in the old town of Bern, Switzerland, there is a 16th-century fountain called the Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Child Eater Fountain in English. It was built by Hans Gieng between 1545 and 1546 to replace a wooden fountain from the 15th century. Originally called Platzbrunnen, or Square Fountain, it was renamed to its current name after its first appearance in 1666. The sculpture on the fountain depicts an ogre sitting and devouring a naked child while a sack beside him is filled with more children. Some speculate that the hat worn by the ogre is reminiscent of a traditional Jewish hat and therefore the statue has anti-Semitic connotations; others believe it to be Kronos, a god from Greek mythology. However, it is more likely that it was a form of carnival expression used to frighten misbehaving children.

Address

Granary Place, Bern, Switzerland

Opening hours

24 hours