The fountain on Merseburg Cathedral Square is to bubble up again. The fountain has not had any water for almost 100 years. On the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the consecration of Merseburg Cathedral, the water will return to the cathedral square.

As early as 1515, the 20-metre-deep fountain was built on the cathedral square by order of the cathedral chapter. It served as the water supply for the cathedral, the cathedral college and the Domfreiheit. But since the 1920s, water can no longer be drawn from the fountain because it was sealed with a concrete ceiling. Now the water is to flow again.

In April, the measures to upgrade the fountain will begin under the direction of cathedral architect Regine Hartkopf. The first preparations have already been made: The fountain crown, which dates back to the 1930s, has been lifted off and the overgrown area around the fountain has been cleared. In the following, the cement cover with a diameter of 3 metres has to be removed in order to access the interior of the fountain, the steel constructions and the pump. To upgrade the fountain, a water outlet will be set up so that the water can flow out of the fountain into the direction of the cathedral square. This water will be fed back into the fountain and into an extra container to create its own water circuit. Further restoration measures serve to clean and carefully repair the natural stone elements and the crowning of the fountain.

The design of the area around the fountain will further enhance the cathedral square. People will be able to approach the fountain again, benches and greenery as well as the two old plane trees will invite them to linger. This will create an oasis of calm in the heart of the city.

Vereinigte Domstifter have imposed a tight schedule on themselves for the restoration measures. The fountain should be flowing again as early as 24 June 2021. This is when St John's Day is traditionally celebrated, the feast day dedicated to John the Baptist. John the Baptist is one of the patron saints of Merseburg Cathedral. Together with the cathedral parish and the city of Merseburg, Vereinigte Domstifter want to inaugurate the fountain on St John's Day and invite visitors to a fountain festival lasting several days.

Sponsors

The restoration of the Merseburg Cathedral Fountain is made possible thanks to the financial support of:

• Saalekreis district
• city of Merseburg
• MIDEWA
• Altstadtverein Merseburg e. V.
• Volks- und Raiffeisenbank Saale-Unstrut eG
• TOTAL Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland GmbH
• Freundeskreis Freunde und Förderer der Vereinigten Domstifter

Vereinigte Domstifter have initiated a donation project for the restoration of the cathedral fountain. Numerous donations have already been received in this way. Donations can still be made to the project via the digital donation tool .

Vereinigte Domstifter would like to express their sincere thanks to all private and institutional sponsors for their support, as well as to Horst Wingrich, the former holder of the chair for water supply at the Technical University of Dresden, for his expert advice.