During the 1970s the Red Army Faction, also known as the RAF, assassinated and kidnapped a number of important figures in West Germany. They also set of a number of bombs at major buildings and U.S. bases.
On 30th July, 1977, they attempted to kidnap Jürgen Ponto, the chairman of the Dresdner Bank board of directors. The attempt when wrong and instead he was shot in his own home in Oberursel.
The fountain between the Rathaus and the Stadthalle is dedicated to him. The designer, Claus Bury, wanted to depict how he was torn away from his family, leaving a gap in their lives. Hence the steps which have been carved out of the main piece of stone and placed some distance away.
The fountain was dry on the 40th anniversary, Sunday, 30th July, 2017.
The dedication plaque in front of the fountain
Marion Unger explaining the relevance of the steps during a tour of the town’s fountains on 16th May 2015
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