The city of Bonn has not been covering the running costs of the fountain in the Old Town for several years due to cost-saving measures. According to the city administration, the costs for electricity and water in a season that lasts from April to September amount to around 450 euros. Ten years ago, Manfred Erwe and Peter Heidinger went from door to door and asked local residents for donations to help preserve the Old Town fountain. Since then, the upkeep of the fountain has been in the hands of residents and local businesses.

In recent years, however, repairs to the fountain - which dates from the 1980s - have become more frequent. Most recently, dilapidated water pipes meant that the fountain could not start up in April as usual. Costs for the repair: 3500 Euro. In its June meeting, Bonn district council decided to pay the costs for the repair work on the Old Town fountain from the so-called ‘fire brigade pot’.

According to the city, there are currently around 100 fountains in Bonn. Many of these are not in use at the moment due to pending repair works. "The majority of the fountains will probably be switched on in the course of this month", said a spokesperson for the city. Meanwhile, citizens are reporting on city fountains that are sometimes running and sometimes not.

Birgid Heidinger is particularly pleased that the Old Town fountain has been bubbling again since Friday. She is the widow of lawyer Peter Heidinger, who died a few months ago. He had been trying to preserve the small fountain on Breite Straße up until the very end. For the residents, this fountain is much more than just a small stream of water.

(Original text: Nathalie Dreschke, Translation: Caroline Kusch)