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 Panoramic Views
The fish market known already in 1290 as “ forum piscium” originally lay in a dip along a stream, an early medieval Rhine bed. The “vischemarket” location described from the 14th century onwards was a storage place on the quay of the Speyer stream and served as a harbour.
In the late Middle Ages the fish and wood markets with an extended wood yard were located here where both the ‘Hasenpfühler’ guild, (here is meant the boatmen living on the north side of the harbour), as well as the boatmen coming from outside the town, stored their wood on the south side.
The job of fishermen had a long tradition on the Rhine. In the 16th century around 60 families belonged to the fishing guild. In contrast, in the 1830s only four fishermen were working full-time in Speyer. Nowadays, this profession in the cathedral town no longer exists. A reminder of this time is the fish on stilts, a fountain sculpture by the Landau artist Stefan Forler. The fountain was officially opened in summer 1982 after the square was considerably improved in the town’s redevelopment scheme. Today one can enjoy the view of the cathedral from the fountain.
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Tourismus