St. Peters Fountain

The "Drügge Pitter" (dry Peter) is no longer drügge, that is dry in the dialect of Cologne. However, the fountain will probably retain its nickname for all eternity, as it has become part of the general memory of the city.

The neo-Gothic fountain was donated to the city of Cologne by the Prussian Queen and later German Empress Augusta and completed in 1870. The 8 m high structure is crowned by the figure of St Peter the Apostle, the patron saint of Cologne Cathedral, and was designed by the then cathedral architect Richard Voigtel and the cathedral sculptor Peter Fuchs. In Cologne, the work is a unique example of elegant 19th-century fountain architecture, captivating with its filigree details.

The nickname goes back to the fountain's first location. Originally, the fountain was laid out on a terraced area leading from the cathedral to the Rhine. Here it was prominently displayed, but did not have an adequate water supply. Therefore, the nickname of the dry, yet popular sight prevailed and was not dropped when the fountain was given its present location, complete with water connection, in 2003, after being moved several times and 132 years after its completion. Even if the water is now flowing, the Petrusbrunnen remains the "Drügge Pitter".