Until the middle of the 16th century, the Weinmarkt was the fish market. The demolition of the two-storey wooden market hall, where meat, bread and leather had been traded, led in 1481 to the emergence of the square in its present form. The work of Konrad Lux, the Weinmarkt fountain of 1481, was ten years in the making and is considered the prettiest in the city. The original hexagonal basin was replaced in the 16th century by an octagonal one. The fountain’s column was also refashioned over the centuries, until finally sculptor Leopold Häfliger created the one seen today out of shell limestone. The original is preserved in the History Museum on Pfistergasse.
