Fischbrunnen

The fish fountain is located in front of the main entrance of the New Town Hall on the Marienplatz in Munich's old town.  The fountain is a very popular destination as a meeting point for young and old.
 The history of the fish fountain can be traced back to the Middle Ages.
 In 1954, Josef Henselmann created the fountain in its present form, using parts of the neo-gothic predecessor fountain of Konrad Knoll, destroyed in the Second World War.

 Traditions at the fountain
 Until the Second World War the Metzger apprentices were released on the Rosengag at the Fischbrunnen, which today corresponds to the conclusion of the Metzgerausbildung and the handing over of the Gesellenbriefes.
 It was until the 19th century.  The Metzgersprung , in which the apprentices fell into the water of the well and were submerged.  This may have been a kind of baptism in order to free the apprentices from their youthful sins.
 Another tradition is the purse washing .  On the Ash Wednesday, the mayor of Munich, together with the city chamberlain, washes the empty city patch in the water of the fish fountain to ensure that it is filled again next year.
 The origins of this tradition can be traced back to the 15th century.  traced.  The custom of the poorer classes was particularly evident in the 19th century.  Make clear that a salary improvement was necessary in the face of an empty money bag.
 In the 1950s Oberbürgermeiter Thomas Wimmer handed over the tradition to the municipal purse.