German Nativity Scenes

An important part of the German Christmas Tradition is the installation of Nativity Scenes. Often built up during the Advent, they accompany the spiritual and expectant sentiment of the pre-christmas-days. As Christmas approaches and people visit their beloved ones, the Nativity Scenes are usually subject of long discussions about the meaning of the holidays and about personal and cultural feelings they evoke.

Image courtesy: Krippenmuseum Oberstadion
The crip in a cave. Image courtesy: Krippenmuseum Oberstadion

The Nativity Scenes are a very personal way to prepare for Christmas. Often handcrafted by the owner himself, they express the unique image of his perception of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. By preparing the scenery and choosing the material, the artist expounds his view of the history and message to himself, to his family and his friends. Chosen from a canon of about ten figurines, each depiction and scene is unique.

The following characters can be found in most of the Nativity Scenes:

  • Baby Jesus in a crèche
  • the Virgin Mary, sometimes as a throning Madonna
  • Joseph, usually as an elder man.
  • Ox and donkey behind the crèche
  • Shepherds and sheep, often with a German Shepherd
  • the Three Wise Men (Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar) with their respective Gift (gold, frankincense and myrrh), often with camels or even an elephant. They are placed away from the others and approach the scenery a little day by day and arrive on january 6th.
  • an Angel holding a banner with a biblical verse written on it
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A renaissance-style crib. Image courtesy: Krippenmuseum Oberstadion

The materials used to create the cribs vary largely. From wood, handcrafted briks, plastic and papier-mâché, they may contain every mixture prefered. The colours are adapted to the style of the material and the figurines.

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A medieval-style crib. Image courtesy: Krippenmuseum Oberstadion

The Nativity Scenes are not only a static depiction of an imagined happening two thousand years ago. The handicraft enthusiasts always used new developements such as glue or plastic for an even better representation of the artists imagination. Lately, electronic components such as LEDs, speakers or water pumps are more and more included to appeal more senses of the observer. Burning fires, a creek, the Star of Bethlehem or the noises of the animals can thus be presented more realistically. But beneath these evolutions, natural material like moss and twigs remain important and create the known and demanded impression of peace an calm, the Nativity Scenes are to evoke.

Lately, the Nativity Scenes have been comercialised, too. Different producers exlipse the narrative with the style of their products. And as the public asks for certain cribs in an explicite style, some companys seem to react on this demand by producing them in a very dense setting or imaginery.

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A Playmobil-Crib, Image courtesy: Playmobil
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A rubber-duck-crib, Image courtesy: Lilalu

Cribs can even be a sort of critic about today’s society. A very well designed example is the „Hipster-Nativity-Set“. They focus on the modern spirit of christmas with presents being in the focus and capitalism gaining more and more control over the ancient tradition.

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Hipster Nativity Set. Image courtesy: Gorilla Goodies

Nevertheless, the ancient tradition of Nativity Scenes stays largely a personal and uncommercial matter for the individuum. By creating and expanding the scenery, the handicraft enthusiast analyses an old tradition, reflects ancient and contemporary opinions and creates always an individual masterpiece.

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