Marktplatz and Fountain by Rudolf Kurz, Ellwangen

After Marienstrasse and Spitalstrasse were converted into a pedestrian zone, a fountain by the Ellwangen sculptor Rudolf Kurz was set up in a central location. The high reliefs refer to the adjacent streets and show scenes from the town's history: an old person from the former hospital on Spitalstrasse, a blacksmith from Schmiedstrasse working iron on an anvil, and the people who have gone to the pilgrimage church on Schönenberg to pray. The reliefs are particularly striking at night thanks to the lighting from the fountain basin. Above the reliefs, children playing form a spacious pyramid and symbolize the connection between past and future.

The former post inn "Schwarzer Adler" was first mentioned in documents in 1550. It once housed celebrities such as Mozart and Goethe. A scene on the richly painted facade, designed by Hans Kolb in 1896, commemorates this. The poet prince, however, failed to recognize Ellwangen's potential at the time. He wrote unflatteringly in his travel diary: "There is a stream flowing below, otherwise not worth mentioning."

The large district town of Ellwangen, with around 24,500 inhabitants (as of December 2019), is the third largest town in the Ostalb district after Aalen and Schwäbisch Gmünd. The town centre is characterised by the market square with the churches of St. Vitus and the Evangelical Parish Church (former Jesuit Church), the town hall in the former hospital and a spacious pedestrian zone lined with many wonderfully restored historic buildings. The numerous restaurants invite you to linger.