Richard Strauss Fountain, Munich

The Richard Strauss Fountain, located near Saint Michael’s Church on Neuhauser Strasse, is a memorial to Richard Strauss, a renowned composer and one of Munich’s most celebrated sons.

It was created by Hans Wimmer in 1962. Richard Strauss was born in Munich in 1864. His father, Franz Strauss, was the main horn player at the court opera. The yonger Strauss is known for having revived the art of opera and for famous musical works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Also Sprach Zarathustra. In particular, the fountain pays tribute to his most celebrated work, the opera ‘Salome’.

The Richard Strauss fountain consists of a bowl placed on a six-meter high bronze column. Water falls from the bowl in different directions, according to the direction of the wind. The reliefs, carved around the pillar, are divided into six sections. Each section depicts scenes from Salome and unravels the plot of the story. The falling water looks like a wet veil portraying the final dance in the opera, called the Dance of the Seven Veils, which is widely considered Strauss’s masterpiece. The fountain is frequented by music lovers from around the world who come to pay their tribute to the great composer.