The Governing Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner inaugurated the fountain. At the public ceremony, he said, “Monuments connect our present with the past. With the recommissioning of the historic mosaic fountain, a piece of Berlin history comes alive – right in the heart of our city. I would like to thank everyone involved who made this restoration possible. The fountain is a small oasis open to both students and visitors, and it shows how rich and diverse Berlin’s cultural heritage is,” Wegner said. 

“The reopening of the fountain is an occasion of particular significance for us. Its restoration was financed through public funds and private donations. We are deeply grateful for this support. We would also like to thank the governing mayor, whose presence today has made this day especially meaningful,” added Jörg Rocholl, president of ESMT Berlin. 

The fountain was designed in 1963 as part of the landscaping by Rolf Rühle and Hubert Matthes and decorated with a mosaic by artist Ortraud Lerch. The colorful mosaics, with their abstract formal language, evoke representations of nature and reflect artistic influences from Miró, Kandinsky, and Matisse. Lerch (†2013) created numerous works in this technique in the 1960s and 1970s. 

The restoration was carried out between November 2024 and September 2025 by wandwerk, Kamjen Restaurierung, Combé Anlagenbau, Buhle Zeltverleih, Cosmomusivo Mosaik, HBS Bauwerk, and Wilking & Tarrach Metallbau. It was made possible with financial contributions from the cultural budget of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), the Berlin Heritage Authority, private donations, and ESMT. The goal was to restore the basin and fountain technology as faithfully possible to the original. The mosaic surface was completely relaid, the reinforced concrete basin repaired and sealed with a special coating, the fountain technology renewed, and the diabase stone slabs refitted. 

The reopening of the fountain highlights the historical significance of the former State Council building and its grounds as a testimony to the architectural and design culture of the 1960s and preserves a piece of Berlin history on the ESMT campus.