Wappenbrunnen, Coat of Arms fountain outside the Nikolaikirche in the Nikolaiviertel, Berlin Old Town

---

St. Nikolai-Kirche, Nikolaikirche or St. Nicholas' Church is the oldest church in Berlin. It was originally a Roman Catholic churchbut became a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation 1539. The building was last used as a church in 1938 and is now used as a concert venue and museum. In front of the church is the charming Nikolaikirchplatz, a small square with a fountain known as the Wappenbrunnen (Coat of arms fountain). On each side of the octagonal fountain is a relief showing a coat-of-arms. In the middle of the fountain is a column on which a bear statue rests. The bear symbolizes the city of Berlin. The fountain commemorates the founding of the city, hence it is also known as the Gründungsbrunnen (fountain of the founding). The Nikolaiviertel occupies the area where Berlin was first founded in the early thirteenth century. It is a reconstruction of buildings of the the old historic area of the city

---

Size: 2673px × 3341px
Location: Nikolaiviertel, Mitte, Berlin, Europe, EU
Photo credit: © Eden Breitz / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: Yes

Keywords: altstadt, architecture, arms, attraction, berlin, buildings, capital, city, coat, destination, deutsche, deutschland, europe, fountain, germany, historical, history, mitte, nicholas, nikolaiviertel, quarter, tourism, tourist, town, travel, wappenbrunnen