Pfeiferbrunnen: the bagpiper of Spitalgasse

The fountain was made by Hans Gieng in 1545/46. It is one of the figure fountains of Bern's Old Town from the 16th century. The name recalls the pipers, the minstrels and town musicians who played at receptions and festivals in Bern.

First the Storchenbrunnen

Until 1638 the fountain stood in another spot on Spitalgasse, in front of the Gasthof zum Kreuz. The inn had been called Gasthof zum Storchen since 1594, which is why the fountain was first called Storchenbrunnen. Travelling minstrels stayed at the inn. That is probably the reason why the figure shows a bagpiper. The figure is a free adaptation of the engraving "Der Sackpfeifer", which Albrecht Dürer made in 1514.

A charter for the minstrels

On 3 September 1507 the city of Bern recognised the brotherhood of the pipers as a kind of guild. The document gave the minstrels certain privileges. On a parchment on the tree trunk behind the figure, the text of the document originally stood. At the renovation of 1874 it could no longer be read, and "Der Pfyffer Freiheits Brief 1507" was written on it. At this renovation the figure was probably also painted for the first time in the colours of the estate in which the town pipers used to appear.

Moved, renovated

In 1919 the fountain was moved a little because of traffic. The Sudeltrog was also removed. The fountain was renovated in 2013. Drinking water flows from the fountain.

Good to know

The figure faces west, towards the railway station. The name is spelled in different ways: Pfeiferbrunnen or Pfyfferbrunnen. In the City of Bern's data the work is called "Pfyfferbrunnen".