Upper Prince's Fountain
The Upper Prince's Fountain was designed and built during the reign of Prince Karl Philipp. Over the gate to the fountain house is his monogram with the date 1738 chiseled in the stone. On the right side of the stairway to the fountain is the following inscription:
- ALeXanDro Blblena CVra et opera HenrICl Neeb Fons hIC PrInCIpaLIs reparat(Vs) PVrIor sCatVrlt
- (Translation: This work was undertaken under the oversight of Alessandro Galli da Bibiena and Heinrich Neeb.)
The inscription is a chronogram for the date 1741. Through this fountain and the Lower Prince's Fountain were the water needs of the Prince's residences in Mannheim met until into the 19th century.
In 1798, Johann Andreas von Traitteur recalled this water transport:
| “ | Because of a shortage of good, healthy fountain water; whenever the royal household was in Mannheim, the necessary water was brought from the mountain daily. It was well known in which garage was kept the special water wagon, that drove to Heidelberg daily and that brought water out of the Prince's Fountains to the castle. | ” |
Quote from Hans Weckesser:"Beloved Water Tower. The History of Mannheim's landmarks"
The water quality in Mannheim was so bad, that upper-class families of the court financed this transport of water from Heidelberg to Mannheim. In the princely residence, until 1777 there was a court position titled "Heidelberg Water-filler".
Read more about this topic: Heidelberg Castle, Before Destruction
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