The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen is a fountain on the street Am Hof, a few steps from Cologne Cathedral, that tells Cologne's favourite fairy tale in stone. It shows the moment the city lost its helpful house gnomes: a tailor's wife with a lantern looks down at the little men tumbling down the steps on the peas she has scattered.
The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen at a glance
- Where: on Am Hof in the Altstadt, opposite the Früh brewery pub and a few minutes south of the cathedral.
- Built: 1899–1900, donated by the Kölner Verschönerungsverein (Cologne Beautification Society) for the 100th birthday of the poet August Kopisch.
- By: the architect Heinrich Renard and his father, the sculptor Edmund Renard the Elder.
- What it is today: a public fountain and one of the most photographed spots between the cathedral and the old town.
- Time needed: about 10 minutes to walk around it and look at the reliefs.
A legend, a poem and a fountain
According to the legend, the Heinzelmännchen were little house spirits who did all the work of the people of Cologne at night, so that the townsfolk could take life easy during the day. It all ended when a tailor's wife, desperate to see them, scattered peas on the workshop floor. The gnomes slipped and fell, were furious, and vanished for good. From then on, Cologne had to do its own work.
The story became famous through a ballad by the painter and poet August Kopisch, published in 1836. For his 100th birthday, the Verschönerungsverein donated this fountain, designed by Heinrich Renard (1868–1928) with his father Edmund Renard the Elder (1830–1905), a sculptor better known for religious art. The original figure of the tailor's wife is now in the collection of the Kölnisches Stadtmuseum; the one you see is a more weather-resistant copy. During a renovation in 2017–2018 the figurative reliefs, damaged by an earlier waterproofing treatment, were also replaced with cast-stone copies.
What to look for
- The tailor's wife: she stands on the double staircase above the basin, holding up a lantern to see the gnomes she has tripped up.
- The falling gnomes: on both sides of the steps the little men tumble down and look up at her.
- The inscription: below her, on a band above a tailor's coat of arms, is the key line of Kopisch's poem, 'Neugierig war des Schneiders Weib' (curious was the tailor's wife).
- The reliefs on the wall: six panels show the gnomes at work as carpenter, joiner, baker, butcher, innkeeper and tailor, with two more panels quoting the poem in old Gothic script.
- The owl at the back: walk around the fountain to find an owl sitting on a book and holding a magnifying glass, a nod to wisdom and to Kopisch's writing.
Heinzelmännchen in Cologne today
The house gnomes are everywhere in Cologne once you start looking. Their story is traditionally told around Christmas, and the Christmas market in the old town nearby has been named after them. The fountain is the place to start: the whole tale, from the busy gnomes to the scattered peas, is gathered in one spot.
Tips for your visit
- Morning light is best for the tailor's wife and the steps; in the evening the area in front of the Früh gets crowded.
- Walk all the way around: the owl and the panels with the poem are easy to miss if you only look from the front.
- Combine the fountain with the cathedral and the Römisch-Germanisches Museum area just to the north.
Nearby
- Cologne Cathedral: the Gothic twin-spired cathedral, a few minutes' walk north.
- Alter Markt: the old market square with the City Hall tower and its carillon, a short walk south-east.
- Farina House: the fragrance museum in the house of the eau de Cologne makers, on the edge of the Gülichplatz a few minutes away.
See Cologne with World City Trail
Our Cologne 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 20 minutes of walking. The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen is one of the stops, along with Cologne Cathedral, the Old Market and the Farina fragrance museum. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Cologne.
Play the Cologne scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Cologne →
Play the outdoor escape game in Cologne →
Facts checked in October 2026.