“Friedrich Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Prussia, presented this
image of King Johann of Bohemia to Jean-François Boch“ After
extensive restoration work, the historical Schinkel Fountain was
returned to its original position in front of the entrance to
the Old Abbey in 2003. It was a gift from the Prussian Crown
Prince, Friedrich Wilhelm, later King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, to
Jean-François Boch, who he visited in 1833. The fountain’s
sculpture was designed by the famous architect, Karl Friedrich
Schinkel (1781 – 1841) and depicts Friedrich Wilhelm’s ancestor,
Johann, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg. During his
visit, the Crown Prince discovered that, owing to the confusion
of several wars and the French Revolution, Jean-François Boch
had given a temporary resting place in the Old Abbey to the
mortal remains of his ancestor, who died in battle in 1346.