The Puppenbrunnen, or Doll Fountain, is a round bronze fountain on Krämerstraße, the short lane that links Aachen Cathedral with the Town Hall and the market square. Its figures stand for different sides of Aachen life, from the cathedral clergy to carnival. What makes it different from almost any other fountain is that you are meant to touch it: the figures have movable joints, so arms, heads and legs can be turned into new poses by anyone passing by.
The Puppenbrunnen at a glance
- Where: on Krämerstraße in Aachen's old town, between the cathedral and the Town Hall.
- Created: 1975, as a gift to the city from Aachener Bank.
- By: the Aachen sculptor Bonifatius Stirnberg.
- What it is today: a public fountain and one of the best-loved stops in the old town, especially for children.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes, more if you start rearranging the figures.
A bank's gift to the old town
Aachen is a city of fountains. It grew up around hot springs that the Romans already used for their baths, and water features appear all over the old town, from the classical Elisenbrunnen to small modern fountains with a sense of humour. The Puppenbrunnen belongs to the second group. It was paid for by Aachener Bank and created in 1975 by Bonifatius Stirnberg, a sculptor from Aachen, for the busy pedestrian lane between the two great sights of the city.
Movable figures are Stirnberg's trademark. He wanted people not just to look at his sculptures but to change them, so that the work never looks exactly the same twice. He used the same idea elsewhere, for example in the Kurgastbrunnen in Bad Soden and in a group of fairy-tale figures at the church of St Gregorius in the Aachen district of Burtscheid. In Aachen, the result is a fountain that is constantly being rearranged by children, students and visitors on their way to the cathedral.
What to look for
- The rooster on top, crowning the whole group. It is said to recall the years of French occupation, when Aachen was part of France.
- The cathedral canon (Domherr), a nod to the cathedral just around the corner and the church that shaped the city for centuries.
- The professor, for Aachen as a university city.
- The harlequin, for Aachen's carnival, and the horse, which points to the equestrian sport the city is famous for.
- The market woman and the fashion doll, for the city's markets and its old trade in cloth and fashion.
- The joints on the figures: try turning an arm or a head and see how the whole scene changes.
Aachen, city of fountains
If you enjoy the Puppenbrunnen, look out for its cousins nearby. On the Hühnermarkt, the Hühnerdieb fountain shows a chicken thief running off with his loot. The Elisenbrunnen, with its classical colonnade, is where the warm, sulphur-scented spring water comes to the surface. And at the Büchel stands a monument to the Bahkauv, a creature from local legend, half panther and half dragon, which was said to wait in the dark for men walking home drunk, scare them and steal their purses.
Tips for your visit
- Go ahead and move the figures, gently: that is what they are made for, and children love it.
- Come in the morning if you want a photo without crowds; Krämerstraße is one of the busiest lanes in the old town.
- In the weeks before Christmas, the Christmas market fills the streets around the cathedral and the Town Hall, so expect crowds here too.
- Combine the fountain with the cathedral and the Town Hall, which are both only a minute or two away.
Nearby
- Aachen Cathedral: Charlemagne's palace chapel, a few steps away, and one of the first sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
- Town Hall and Markt: the Gothic Town Hall stands on the foundations of Charlemagne's palace, with the Karlsbrunnen fountain in front.
- Hühnerdieb fountain: the chicken thief on the Hühnermarkt, another humorous bronze close by.
- Elisenbrunnen: the classical pavilion over Aachen's hot springs, a few minutes' walk away, where you can smell the sulphur in the water.
See Aachen with World City Trail
Our Aachen scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. It includes Aachen Cathedral and the Town Hall, both a stone's throw from the Puppenbrunnen.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Aachen.
Play the Aachen scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Aachen →
Play the outdoor escape game in Aachen →
Facts checked in October 2026.