Augustinerplatzbrunnen

The Augustinerplatzbrunnen stands in Aachen’s old town on a small square called Augustinerplatz. The square lies between Kockerellstraße and Judengasse, close to Annuntiatenbach. Until 1802 the site housed the Augustinerkloster, a monastery of the Augustinian order. The fountain itself is a modern piece of public art made from concrete and sandstone. Four rectangular basins are arranged so that water flows through three lower pools before reaching the top.

The fountain’s most striking feature is a tall sandstone stele placed at an angle below the last basin. In 1971 sixty-five architecture students, led by Professor Elmar Hillebrand, carved the stele by hand. Hillebrand held the chair of sculpture at RWTH Aachen at the time. The design balances simple geometric shapes with rough stone textures. Water trickles down the rills between the basins, creating a quiet, rhythmic sound.

Visitors find a calm spot surrounded by low walls and paving stones. The four concrete rims form a cross-like pattern when viewed from above. The sandstone stele rises just off-centre, casting shifting shadows as the sun moves. The whole arrangement invites a moment’s pause in the middle of the city’s streets.