König-Ludwig Fountain (Hallplatz, Zweibrücken)

The large, ancient King Ludwig fountain is surrounded by the modern shops on Hallplatz.

The King Ludwig Fountain
The octagonal fountain trough on Hallplatz with putti wearing garlands is one of the last of dozens of fountains that once existed in Zweibrücken.
After its completion, it was ceremoniously inaugurated on June 14, 1914 and has shaped the image of Hallplatz from then until today. The King Ludwig Fountain was donated by the Privy Councilor and entrepreneur Fritz Guggenheim.
Fritz Guggenheim was born in Zweibrücken in May 1859, where he spent his childhood and youth. He then moved to Berlin, where he founded a textile goods company and built it up into one of the leading German textile department stores at the time, as a result of which he enjoyed a high reputation in this industry and achieved considerable prosperity.
The generous businessman, who repeatedly donated funds to his birthplace of Zweibrücken, discovered the octagonal King Ludwig Fountain by the sculptor Professor Wilhelm Kreis from Düsseldorf at a Leipzig construction exhibition, which he donated to the city in 1913 and in the middle of Hallplatz, where where the fountain is still located today, had it built. On May 22, 1914, the city made him an honorary citizen out of gratitude for his donations.
Apart from minor damage from bomb splinters, the fountain system survived the heavy air raids during the Second World War, which almost completely destroyed the entire city. Much worse damage was caused over the first four decades by children constantly playing with their hands. In the 1950s, the Hallplatz, which is popularly known as "de Sauplagge" because the Zweibrücker cattle market and slaughterhouse were located on this square until the first decades of the last century, was redesigned and the King Ludwig fountain was also completely restored. In the decades that followed up to the present day, nothing has changed in the children's playing habits, so that almost all the stones in the fountain appear worn.alt-zweibruecken.de/25-alles/bauwerke