Walking through Germany’s urban spaces, it’s easy to find statues of famous rulers on high horses, poets with quills in hand, and the humble foot soldiers who’ve fallen in countless wars. Most such statues and monuments we tend to breeze by without a moment’s thought.

It’s much harder to pass by the bronze creations of Professor Gernot Rumpf. While his name might not sound so familiar, if you live in or near Kaiserslautern, there’s a good chance you’ve seen his work. One of his most famous creations is the Kaiserbrunnen, located right downtown on the Mainzer Tor, at the intersection of Mainzer Straße and Ludwigstraße.

Rumpf’s fantastic sculptures forge connections to a city’s historical traditions in a playful, immediate way. His works are not placed high on pedestals, but rather stand at eye’s level. They’re sturdy and fun and meant to be touched and interacted with. Kids love climbing on them and sometimes even adults, after a beer or wine or two, might be tempted to take a seat upon a flying fish’s back.

Gernot Rumpf was born in Kaiserslautern in 1941. Following his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, he opened his own workshop for bronze casting in 1965. The multiple award-winning sculptor was a professor at the Kaiserslautern University of Technology throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Nowadays he makes his home in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, the place of birth of his wife, Barbara, a respected sculptress in her own right.

Let’s take a look at how brilliantly Rumpf’s aforementioned Kaiserbrunnen reflects the history of K-Town. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who designated the community by the Lauter River as the center of his Staufen empire in the 12th century, looms large. King Rudolf von Habsburg, who chartered the town in 1276, also looks down from on high.

The fish, a pike, is there to remind us of its pride of place on the city’s coat of arms; legend holds this was Barbarossa’s favorite dish. The strange beast is an “Elwedritsche,” a mythical chicken-like creature with antlers and scales native to the Palatinate. Napoleon’s hat reminds us the era between 1793 and 1815, when the surrounding area was under French administration. The horse speaks of the time when knights held sway, and the donkey and horse are there for their roles as an important means of transportation at the time. The ship speaks of waves of emigration from the area. The sewing machine and motor make reference to two important local businesses, Opel and Pfaff, while the wheel and key are the symbols of the city’s highly respected technical university.

The soccer ball is a nod to the passionately loved FC Kaiserslautern, whose squad formed the backbone of West Germany’s national team that stormed to victory in the FIFA World Cup back in 1954. The owl is a shout-out to the city’s educational traditions, and the elephants attest to the strength of the city walls that once encircled the town. You’ll also notice a little mouse scampering about.

Those venturing further afield in the Rhineland-Palatinate can make it their mission to check out other fountains created by Rumpf, to include the Paradiesbrunnen and Elwetritschen-Brunnen‎ in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, the Rossmarktbrunnen in Alzey, the Erfinderbrunnen in Koblenz, the Geißbockbrunnen in Deidesheim or the Weinbrunnen in Bad Bergzabern. In Mannheim, Rumpf’s Papyrusbrunnen awaits discovery. In Heidelberg, at the foot of the Old Bridge spanning the Neckar River, a statue of a monkey holding a mirror can be found. In accordance with local lore, stroking the mirror brings wealth, while touching the monkey’s fingers ensures a return to this beautiful city. To the monkey’s side, you’ll also see a pair of diminutive mice.

The Rhineland-Palatinate’s capital city of Mainz also amps up its fun factor with a pair of his works. The Glockenbaum, with bells that chime when the wind blows through its place next door to a ministry, is mockingly nicknamed the civil servants’ alarm clock. In the Cathedral Square, a round pillar rises, surrounded by Rumpf’s castings of four hats summing up the many sides of Mainz’s amazing history. Until recently, there was also a little mouse, Rumpf’s playful way of signing his works. Since January of 2020, however, the little creature is no longer to be seen, most likely the victim of an act of vandalism. Luckily, the three little mice nestled within the gladiator’s helmet remain in place.

How many of the wonderful works of Gernot Rumpf have you been lucky enough to see?

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