Gänseliesel

Mother Goose is the name given to a female figure in conjunction with domestic geese. Liesel is a short form of the female given name Elizabeth.

The figure of Mother Goose is often addressed by artists in the form of paintings or sculptures. As a decorative element of buildings and fountains are found in many places reliefs and statues that show a goose girl. Often it is representations of everyday situations in which maids or girl herding the geese or bring to the market.

Fountain figures

The Göttingen Gänseliesel

The Gänseliesel front of the old Town Hall is as a fountain figure since 1901 the emblem of the university town of Göttingen. Since 1990 it is a copy, while there is the original figure in the Municipal Museum.

The bronze figure of the fountain was created by sculptor Paul Nisse, designed by the architect Heinrich Stöckhardt. It depicts a young girl surrounded by several geese dar. to redesign the market fountain had the magistrate of the city of Göttingen in 1898 a competition advertised in which the jury the draft " goose girl " the second prize awarded. First prize went to the draft "In the spirit of the ancients / Tugendbrunnen " by K. Mehs and H. Jehs. After the award ceremony, the Goettingen population an opportunity to make their judgment. Finally, after a long debate in the citizenry, on 8 June 1901, the figure of the geese girls set up. An official opening ceremony never took place.

Parts of the student body moved into the fountain soon into their customs. After her matriculation students climbed the fountain, to kiss the fountain figure. Since this is often done in the context of noisy celebrations, a regulation was adopted on March 31, 1926, which provided the climbing the market well, and a goose Kissing Liesels punishable. Because the students did not keep it, it was born in 1926 to a " kiss - process ". After the summer semester of cand jur. Georg Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck was caught red-handed, he had to pay a fine of ten marks. Although the law student challenged the administrative penalty and urged the court " Kiss freedom" and " but the spell of the bronze lips to solve ", but he had neither before the Göttingen district court before the Berlin Court of Appeal success. The kiss was officially ban continues, but was hardly noticed. Therefore Gänseliesel applies to Gottingen as the most kissed girl in the world. However, there were in the last few decades is no longer the new students who kissed the Goose Girl, but after her successful doctoral examination. In this case, the goose girl a bouquet of flowers is presented. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the geese Liesels the City Council lifted the ban kiss for this one day officially.

Since 1995, a young woman is once a year by a regional trade association based in an election method chosen for " Mother Goose ". It assumes representative functions (especially in regional economic development ).

The Goose Girl of Monheim am Rhein

The city of Monheim am Rhein since 1939 carries a goose girl in the coat of arms, which was designed by Wolfgang heraldist Pagenstecherstraße modeled after the seal of office Vogt Johann Wilhelm Aschenbroich 1791. In the city center in front of the Rathaus-Center, a Gänseliesel fountain with two water-spouting geese, which was designed in 1937 by the Düsseldorf sculptor Julius Haigis of bronze. Since 1955, annually provides a Gänseliesel together with the legendary figure of the minstrel's "Tradition pair " of the Rhine community.

Mother Goose in the arms of Monheim am Rhein

Mother Goose in other cities

Similar fountain figures, there are also elsewhere, for example in Hannover the Goose Girl Fountain in Steintorplatz (Carl Dopmeyer, 1898), in Berlin- Wilmersdorf on the Nikolsburger space ( Cuno von Uechtritz - Steinenkirch, 1910) and on the Haußmann place in Kreischa.

In Stuttgart there is a goose Peter fountain.

In Vienna there is a goose girl fountain.

In Steinach (bath Booklet ) are available in the spring alley a Gänseliesel sculpture.

Goose Girl Fountain at Hanover former Goseriede

Berlin Goose Girl fountain

Goose Girl Fountain at the goose market in Luebbecke