Names wanted for fountain square at the "Westside" youth center

The water is already gushing from the fountain on the square in front of the "Westside" youth center on Karl-Marx-Allee and the grand opening took place on Saturday, but the square still needs a name for the "Bürgermund". Karl-Marx-Allee 15 is already the official address, but future users will be able to identify much better with a suitable name for the square.

That's why all children and young people up to the age of 18 are invited to submit name suggestions online by 03.06.2024. This will be followed by a vote on the submitted suggestions until 03.07.2024.Of course, parents can support their children who are not yet online or cannot yet read and write.

"Involving children and young people in naming our public square is an important step towards strengthening their connection with their living space and taking their opinions seriously. It is important for democratic education that they can actively participate in decision-making processes that directly affect them," says Christian Gerlitz, Mayor and Head of the Department for Urban Development and the Environment, explaining the decision for an age-limited vote.

A place steeped in history

The square is a place steeped in history for Lobeda and is associated with many memories and emotions for local residents. The cultural center for Lobeda was located on this site until 1998, when it was finally demolished due to increasing decay. A lot has happened since then. The site is now home to the "Westside" youth center, which opened two years ago, as well as the "Schwimmparadies" indoor swimming pool, which is only a few months old. The open space on the site has also been redesigned.

Skittle fountain modeled on the original

As part of this process, the "cone fountain" was also erected at the request of the wider Lobeda population, based on the fountain designed by Karl-Heinz Adler and Friedrich Kracht in 1975. As only a few parts of the original still exist, master stonemason Holger Schöne from Camburg recreated the three fountain cones. A free-standing wall made of shaped stone elements, artistically developed by master stonemason Christian Späte from Zeitz, marks the boundary between the fountain and the Saale floodplain.

Der Vorplatz des Jugendzentrums "Westside" mit dem Kegelbrunnen. © Stadt Jena