Fountain of the Little Bear in Wrocław

The Bear Fountain, also known as Bärenbrunnen, is a reconstruction of a pre-war fountain located by the southern wall of the Old Town Hall in Wrocław. The original fountain, featuring a bronze statue of a bear cub standing on a tree trunk, was designed by Ernst Moritz Geyger and installed in 1904. Water flowed from the bear’s mouth into a small stone basin. Unfortunately, the statue was lost during World War II. The reconstruction was undertaken by Maciej Łagiewski and the Wrocław Shooting Brotherhood, demonstrating the local community’s commitment to restoring the city’s historical symbols. The sculpture, weighing 270 kg and standing 1.5 meters tall, was crafted by Ryszard Zamorski based on the original design. The new fountain was unveiled on June 18, 1998, with the bronze casting carried out by the Gliwice Technical Equipment Plants, funded by Centrozłom and the Piastowski Brewery. The fountain is not only an important architectural element of Wrocław’s Market Square but also a symbol of local culture and history, connecting contemporary residents with their past. Interestingly, the Little Bear has become one of the city’s recognizable landmarks, and its story attracts both tourists and locals who value tradition and the restoration of historical artworks in public spaces.