Fontaine Roesselmann

The Roesselmann fountain is located on a small square on the corner of Rue Grand and Rue Turenne. The statue on the fountain was made at the end of the nineteenth century by the sculptor Bartholdi. The man on the fountain is Jean Roesselmann. This man was a judge in Colmar in the thirteenth century until he was dismissed by the local nobility and banished from the city. However, he managed to smuggle himself back into town by hiding in a wine barrel. Once back and out of the barrel, he helped defend the city against Bishop Walter Geroldseck. Jean Roesselmann was killed during these battles. For this act, Roesselmann is seen as the first hero of Colmar. The statue was restored by the German during the Second World War and placed on a white monument decorated with four bronze fish.

willem vandenameele