MANHOLE COVER, KOBLENZ Editorial Image

Near Jesuitenplatz in Koblenz there is a statue of little boy called the Schaengel. The same boy is visible on every manhole over in the city.He is one of the symbols of the city. Schaengel is the way of saying little John in the local Koblenz dialect. When the french occupied the city on 2 occasions, under Louis XIV and Napoleon, many of the soldiers had kids with local women. As many of these soldiers were named John (Jean in French), their sons became known as little Johns. Eventually all the kids of Koblenz became known an ittle John's, or Schaengel, as they are still called today. To top it off, this little boy is a fountain, but he spits the water at you, symbolizing that the people of koblenz, do not like authority.