Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain)

Erected between 1389 and 1396 by the builder and stonemason, Heinrich Beheim, the 19-metre stone pyramid rises from the octagonal basin like a Gothic steeple top, narrowing in three steps, right to the top finial. Forty stone figures are arranged in three rows, all of them important 14th century sculptures representing the world-view of the Holy Roman Empire: in the bottom row allegorical figures symbolising Philosophy and the Free Arts, in the middle row the evangelists and Latin Church Fathers, in the third row the seven electors and nine heroes, at the very top Moses and the seven prophets.

The protective railing surrounding the fountain's basin was forged in 1587 by Paulus Kühn from Augsburg. In 1902, it was repaired by Albert Leipold and then furnished with the well-known ring that may be turned. Only fragments remain of the soft sandstone figures of the original fountain, and they are kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum. Between 1897 and 1902 the sandstone figures were replaced by shell lime ones.