Fountain of the Child Eater

Child Eater Fountain (Kindlifresserbrunnen)

The Child Eater Fountain is one of Bern’s most famous fountains from the 16th century and is quite an intimidating sight. The fountain is located on the Kornhausplatz square in Bern.

General information

The Child Eater Fountain is a sculpture of a seated cannibal giant devouring a naked baby. In his hands he holds a bag with other children awaiting their unenviable fate. At the foot of the column are bears standing on their hind legs, dressed in military armor. And the actual “fountain” part of the structure is represented by four long faucets, from which flow out modest streams of water – by the way, drinking water. The giant is dressed in a pointed hat, like Jewish caps, which they were obliged to wear in the Middle Ages. This fact gave rise to speculation that the giant meant Jews, and eating children was a reminder of ritual murder (Rudolf of Bern).

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According to another theory, the fountain sculpture is the Greek god Chronos. It is more likely that it is just some mythical figure used to intimidate disobedient children. Around the foot of the fountain column is a frieze depicting a procession of armed bears.

The third and final version is that the fountain depicts a carnival character with the banal purpose of keeping naughty little children in fear.

Despite all these versions, the fountain has been used for more than 500 years as a means of frightening little Swiss children. Bernese mothers tell their children: “If you misbehave, I’ll take you to the square and put you in the giant’s bag.”

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History of the fountain

The fountain was built in 1546, designed by Swiss sculptor Hans Ging, and was installed on the site where a wooden fountain had previously stood. The fountain originally had a different name, “the fountain in the square”, and received its current name in 1666.

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Interesting facts

This fountain played an important role in the novel L’Ogré (“The Ogre”) by Jacques Chessé.

In 2007, the statue of the giant and the figures of armed bears decorating the lower part of the composition were removed from the fountain and restored. For a long time the local press has been speculating that 500 thousand francs were spent on their restoration.

The statue of the giant and the figures of armed bears adorning the lower part of the composition were removed from the fountain and restored.