The focal point of the fountain is the group of closely packed together children crying inconsolably. Around the basin there is the inscription: "Jed‘ Menschlein Weh, in Tränen zerronnen; die Erde schluckt’s und weint’s in Bronnen" (each human woe when molten into tears is swallowed by the earth and poured into the water).

This theme of a group of children crying is unknown in art history. Baden artist Hans Trudel has developed a unique representation here, possibly due to experiences in Vienna during the First World War. The group has been arranged so as to have a fully dramatic effect: a standing boy is surrounded by four children all crowded together either kneeling or crouching. With bowed head and hands over his face the standing figure has his upward movement impeded and hence the group is left to wallow in its own sorrow. Soft, round body shapes and beautifully crafted detail on faces, hair and hands characterise the style.