Maulbronn #4 by mermaid

Photography • Architecture • posted on Apr 12, 2009

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Description

Today it's the famous view into the fountainhouse with the well. This view is the most known of Maulbronn. I thought this one worthy of easter sunday, because of the light and the solemn feeling this view has. Water was essential to the life of the cistercian monks. The fountain was used for ritual washing, cleaning and the cutting of the tonsures. But this was only inside the cloister. For the Cistercians, the cultivation of an unspoiled countryside was part of their service to God and therefore the build an extensive system of trenches and canals in combination with a large number of natural and artificial lakes. Thus the swampy areas were drained and the water especially channeled to the agricultural areas in times of little rainfall. The creation of artificial lakes had multiple purposes as they were simultaneously used as large water reservoirs and as fish ponds, serving as the basis for food production. Large parts of these installations are still visible and, where preserved, fulfill these functions up until today.