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Kindlifresserbrunnen (“Child Eater Fountain”) at the Kornhausplatz (“Granary Place”) in Bern, Switzerland

from SDASM Archives

• Chris Devers said:

  I'm nearly certain that's the Kindlifresserbrunnen (“Child Eater Fountain”) at the Kornhausplatz (“Granary Place”) in Bern, Switzerland: The statue has a long history & may be anti-semitic. Pasting from Wikipedia:

  It was created in 1545/46 by Hans Gieng in place of a wooden fountain from the 15th century. The new fountain's original name was Platzbrunnen (Place Fountain); the current name was used first in 1666. Kindli is a Swiss German diminutive for the German word Kind, meaning child. A literal translation of the name Kindlifresserbrunnen therefore would be "Fountain of the Eater of Little Children". The fountain sculpture is a sitting ogre devouring a naked child. Placed at his side is a bag containing more children. Because the ogre is wearing a pointed hat resembling a Jewish hat[1], it has been speculated[2] about the possibility of the ogre being the depiction of a Jew as an expression of blood libel against Jews. According to other theories it is a depiction of the Greek god Cronus. Probably, however, it is just a carnival character intended to frighten disobedient children[3].

• Chris Devers said:

  Some of the other photos of the Kindlifresserbrunnen are from the same angle, and show the same buildings in the background as the SDAS photo does. For example: Etc.