The fountain statue by the Schwerin artist Hugo Berwald caused quite a stir immediately after its installation. Perched on a rocky reef, a sturdy man carries a naked woman out of the water, surrounded by four seals. Originally, turtles were intended to be featured instead of seals, but this concept was deemed inappropriate for Schwerin. Hugo Berwald had to reconsider his design. Criticism didn't just stem from the depiction itself but also from the cost of the fountain, which was slated to be 60,000 marks. Moreover, the benefactor, Emma Mühlenbruch, had wished for lightly clothed figures, but this wish didn't come to fruition. The unveiling of the fountain caused public outcry. Nudity in the royal city was deemed too scandalous for conservative sensibilities. While it's not true, as some rumors suggest, that Emma Mühlenbruch fainted, a newspaper article confirms that she claimed she hadn't commissioned the work in that manner. A sarcastic suggestion in a reader's letter proposed dressing the figures in "swim trunks," but instead, the entire fountain was relocated. Following criticism from Reich President Paul Hindenburg during a visit to Schwerin, the fountain was dismantled in July 1927 at the market square and subsequently rebuilt in front of the train station.
Hugo BerwaldDer Künstler Hugo Berwald wurde am 10. Februar 1863 in Schwerin geboren und starb am 14. Februar 1937. Er absolvierte ein Studium an der Berliner Kunstakademie. 1887 schuf er ein Denkmal mit einer Büste des Großherzogs Friedrich Franz II für Neukloster – dadurch entstand eine enge Verbindung zum Schweriner Hof. Hugo Berwald bewarb sich schließlich um einen Aufenthalt in Rom, Großherzog Friedrich Franz III. urteilte positiv. Er fand, der Künstler eigne sich hervorragend für eine Unterstützung des Kunstministeriums. Er schuf größere Plastiken, aber auch Plaketten und Medaillen. Die gesellschaftspolitische Situation nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg stürzte den Künstler in eine finanzielle Krise. Völlig verschuldet kehrte er nach Schwerin zurück. Das Wohlfahrtsamt übernahm einen Teil der Schulden und gewährte Hugo Berwald eine kleine Ehrenpension.
