161/365: Water sprite

161/365: Water sprite, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

June 10th

Or the fountain in the Manufaktura shopping centre, if you want to be less mysterious.

50/365: Dwarf at the Cholera Well

50/365: Dwarf at the Cholera Well, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

February 19th

In 1841, an epidemic of cholera broke out along the Elbe. Through some fortune, it never touched Dresden. In gratitude to God for sparing the great city, the local baron Eugen von Gutschmid commissioned a Neo-Gothic fountain of granite and sandstone. The architect of this piece was Gottfried Semper (author of the eponymous Semperoper which stands across the street). The fountain looks like a church spire, with four figures on its four sides: Wittekind ,an 8th century Saxon prince, St. Boniface , the first apostle of the Germans, John the Baptist, and St. Elisabeth of Hungary. The basins are supported by dwarves, and green lizards climb over the edges.

26/365:Fountain

26/365:Fountain, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

January 26th

The fountains at the Manufaktura shopping centre flow all year round, summer or winter. They warm the water, but it ices up anyway, especially around this arching jet.

Most of this building complex dates back to the 1870's when Jewish entrepreneur Izrael Poznański set up his enormous textile factory in industrial Łódź. There are many many legends about Poznański's wealth; the fact is the place employed 7000 people and ran 5000 spindles at its peak. It had its own gas plant, foundry, steam-engine workshop... I just realised I have not yet taken a proper photo of the palace he built for himself, adjacent to the factory. I will talk a bit more about it when I do.

For now I will just tell you that today the factory grounds and its remaining buildings have been turned into a shopping and cultural centre. There are stores, but there are also restaurants, museums, a theatre, a bowling alley...

You should come visit. :)