Historians think that Eberhard gifted the fountain after his elevation to the rank of a ruling duke in 1495. It was designed by the master mason for the court, Peter of Koblenz, who probably also sculpted the figure of St. Christopher.
The water in the Market Fountain is drawn from the Eckis spring, a karst spring on the slopes of the Eichhalde heathland. The water flows under gravity from the spring to the fountain.