Kindlifresserbrunnen Bern: The Story of the Child Eater Fountain

Bern is full of colourful Renaissance fountains, but one of them stops almost every visitor in their tracks. On Kornhausplatz, a painted giant sits on top of a tall column and stuffs a naked child into his mouth, with a sack of more children over his shoulder. This is the Kindlifresserbrunnen, the Child Eater Fountain, and nobody knows for sure what it means.

In this guide I explain the history of the fountain, the main theories about the strange figure, where to find it and how to combine it with the Zytglogge and the Kornhauskeller right next to it.

I have known the Kindlifresser for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Solothurn, Bern was never far away, and the child eater was always part of a visit to the capital.

Kindlifresserbrunnen at a Glance

• Name: Kindlifresserbrunnen, Swiss German for Child Eater Fountain.
• Where: Kornhausplatz in Bern’s Old Town, between the Zytglogge clock tower and the Kornhausbrücke bridge.
• Built: 1545, attributed to the sculptor Hans Gieng.
• What you see: an ogre eating a child, on a column with a procession of armed bears at its base.
• Cost: free, it is a public fountain you can visit day and night.
• Nearby: Zytglogge, Kornhauskeller, Bundesplatz and the Federal Palace.

The History of the Child Eater Fountain

A wooden fountain stood on this square already in the 15th century. Its stone replacement with the famous figure dates from the 1540s, when Bern replaced many of its simple wooden fountains with painted Renaissance figures. When the fountain was moved slightly in 1997 for tram works, the date 1545 in Roman numerals was found on the floor of the basin.

The figure is attributed to Hans Gieng, a sculptor from Fribourg who made several of Bern’s figure fountains in that period. For a long time the fountain was simply called the Platzbrunnen, the square fountain. The name Kindlifresserbrunnen only appears in records from the 17th century.

The ogre sits on a decorated column. Look closely at the base of the column: there is a procession of armed bears, the symbol of Bern, carrying muskets, swords, helmets and banners. One of them even has a wine jug. The figures are painted in bright colours, and the fountain has been restored several times, most recently after an act of vandalism.

What Does the Kindlifresser Mean? The Main Theories

No document explains why Bern put a child eater on one of its main squares. Historians and locals have several theories, and none of them is proven.

A Bogeyman to Scare Children

The simplest explanation is that the figure is a Kinderschreck, a bogeyman used to frighten children into behaving. Parents could point at the fountain and warn their kids what happens to children who do not listen. It is the explanation you hear most often.

Saturn or Kronos Eating His Children

Another theory links the figure to Greek mythology. The god Kronos, called Saturn by the Romans, ate his own children so that none of them could overthrow him. Art historians point out that the ogre’s hat resembles the one in a woodcut of Saturn by the German artist Georg Pencz from 1531. On the other hand, Saturn is usually shown with a sickle and only one child, so the fountain is probably a mix of the bogeyman and Saturn images.

A Carnival Figure

Some people believe the figure comes from Fasnacht, the carnival tradition, with its masks and frightening characters. This is considered unlikely, because after the Reformation in 1528 the Bern authorities tried to suppress carnival celebrations.

An Antisemitic Reading

A darker interpretation sees the pointed hat as the hat that Jews were forced to wear in the Middle Ages, and connects the figure to a false ritual murder accusation in Bern. Some historians support this reading, others reject it. It is worth knowing about, because it shows that the fountain is not only a funny curiosity but also part of a complicated history.

For me the Kronos theory makes the most sense. A giant who swallows children fits the old story of the god who ate his own so well that it is hard to see it as a coincidence.

Other Famous Fountains in Bern

Bern has more than 100 public fountains, and its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its painted figure fountains from the 16th century. The water in Bern’s fountains is drinking water unless a sign says otherwise, so bring a bottle and refill it as you walk. If you like the Kindlifresser, look out for these:

• Zähringerbrunnen: a bear in full armour, honouring Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, who founded Bern. It stands on Kramgasse.
• Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen: Lady Justice with a blindfold and scales, on Gerechtigkeitsgasse in the lower Old Town.
• Simsonbrunnen: the biblical hero Samson fighting a lion, also on Kramgasse.
• Pfeiferbrunnen: a bagpiper on Spitalgasse, near the station.
• Anna Seiler Brunnen: a woman pouring water, honouring the founder of Bern’s first hospital, on Marktgasse.

Walking from the station down to the Bear Park, you pass most of them without any detour. My Bern guide has a full walking route through the Old Town.

The Kindlifresser is still my favourite, simply because it is the funniest. And yes, I refill my water bottle at Bern’s fountains all the time, it is one of the small joys of walking through the Old Town.

How to Find the Kindlifresserbrunnen

The fountain stands in the middle of Kornhausplatz, the square that runs north from the Zytglogge clock tower to the Kornhausbrücke bridge over the Aare. From Bern main station it is a walk of about ten minutes through the arcades of Spitalgasse and Marktgasse. You can also take any tram that stops at Zytglogge.

Watch out for trams and buses when you take photos: several lines cross Kornhausplatz, and the fountain stands right next to the tracks. Early morning is the quietest time for photos without crowds.

At night the fountain is lit, and the figure looks even more sinister against the dark sky. My photo above was taken in the evening, when the square is calm and the arcades glow.

I took my photo on an autumn evening, right after watching the light show on Bundesplatz.

Combine It With the Zytglogge and the Kornhauskeller

The Kindlifresserbrunnen is a perfect stop on a short Old Town walk, because three highlights are within a minute of each other.

• Zytglogge: Bern’s medieval clock tower stands at the southern end of the square. Arrive a few minutes before the full hour to watch the mechanical figures, including a crowing rooster and a parade of bears.
• Kornhauskeller: the huge vaulted cellar of the old granary is right on Kornhausplatz, a few steps from the fountain. It is one of the most impressive places to eat or have a drink in Bern; read my Kornhauskeller guide for tips.
• Bundesplatz: a few minutes away is the square in front of the Federal Palace. In autumn the Rendez-vous Bundesplatz light show turns the parliament building into a giant screen in the evening.

A good evening plan in autumn: watch the light show on Bundesplatz, walk up to the Zytglogge, say hello to the child eater and finish with dinner or a drink in the Kornhauskeller. If you visit in December, combine it with the Swiss Christmas markets; Bern has several in the Old Town.

Honestly, the order does not matter much. Everything is within a few minutes’ walk, so just follow your mood.

Bern also works as a day trip from my hometown, and my Solothurn guide shows what to see there. For a longer trip, my seven day Switzerland itinerary includes Bern.

Kindlifresserbrunnen FAQ

Final Thoughts

The Kindlifresserbrunnen is one of the strangest sights in Switzerland, and that is exactly why it is worth a stop. Take a close look at the ogre, the sack of children and the marching bears, make up your own mind about what it means, and then head into the Kornhauskeller right across the square.