| The Erzbischöfliches Brunnhaus is the old water pump house of the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg. It was built under the rule of Prince Archbishop Guidobald von Thun in 1664 at the southern flank of the Festungsberg in today′s district of Nonntal. It can be found in the Brunnhausgasse.
The purpose of the building was to apply pumps for increasing water pressure from the Almkanal water. This pressure was needed for houses in higher altitudes in the Nonntal area (those built on the Nonnberg Hill), but also and most importantly for the Residenzbrunnen, the large fountain on the Residenzplatz. The Brunnhaus was crucial for providing water for the Residenzbrunnen and other fountains of the Altstadt (Old Town) until well into the 18th century.
Only in 1875, the water reservoir on the Mönchsberg was completed and now supplied the Residenzbrunnen. The Fürst Erzbischöfliches Brunnhaus remained active, though. Today, the Brunnhaus is used by the water company of Salzburg and as a residential building. It is only one of many Baroque buildings in the Brunnhausgasse lane, which was named after it. |