Labeser Nativity Play

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The Labeser Nativity Play is a nativity play that was introduced in Labes in Pomerania in 1921 . Today there are annual performances in Hanover and in Schwüblingsen . The words of the nativity play go back to an old South German Christmas birth play.

history

The Labes nativity scene got its name from the district town of Labes in Pomerania, about 100 km east of Stettin . It was introduced there after the First World War by Maria von Bismarck, wife of District Administrator Herbert von Bismarck . The first performance took place on the 1st of Advent 1921 in the Marienkirche under her direction. The words go back to a late medieval South German Christmas birth game, but have been redesigned and musically enriched. The players were residents of the city of Labes. With three performances on the 1st of Advent, the Labes nativity play became an integral part of community life. It was something special in Protestant Pomerania.

The teacher Walter Nemitz was also a member of the nativity play group, became their musical supervisor, was the Josef actor for ten years and took charge of the game when the von Bismarck family moved away from Labes.

After World War II , Labes came to Poland and the population was replaced by Poles . This is how the tradition of this nativity play in Labes ended. Walter Nemitz wrote the game down from memory and performed it in 1948 and 1953 in Osterburg (Altmark) and in 1954 and 1956 in Gardelegen . In 1962 the Labes nativity play was performed by his son Siegfried Nemitz and Bernd-Ulrich Köpke in the St. Nicolai Church in Hanover-Bothfeld . The protagonists were the evangelical scouts of the parish.

Walter Nemitz, now cantor of the St. Nathanel congregation in Hanover, remembered the nativity play in the early 1970s, in which he had played the role of Joseph for many years. The nativity play was performed for the first time on the 1st of Advent 1972 in the church of the St. Nathanael parish in Hanover-Bothfeld with some newly revised pictures and scenes . Since then it has been an integral part of community life in Hanover. Former residents from Labes and relatives, who are traveling from all over Germany, and residents of Hanover traditionally meet on the Saturday before the 1st Advent in the church of St. Nathanel parish in Hanover to visit the performance together. The nativity play crowd has brought the nativity play back to its place of origin in Labes in a few performances in recent years.

Since 1986 there has also been a performance on the Saturday before the 4th Advent at TRITONUS Schwüblingsen, a publisher and concert organizer in Schwüblingsen , under the direction of Hartmut Nemitz, son of Walter Nemitz.

action

The plot of the nativity play at the performance in Labes:

Contributors: Mary, Joseph, the three kings, shepherds, the landlord, the landlord's daughter, the angel of the Annunciation, group of angels, companionship and five children.

Prelude A raised podium was set up in the chancel with beautiful fir trees in the background. The nativity play began with the first two stanzas of the Advent song How shall I receive you , sung together with the congregation present. During this singing, two candlesticks and two angels came out from behind the altar, each with a candle in their hand, took light from the altar candles, walked to the fir trees and lit the lights on the branches and the candles of the candlelight bearers.

All players, except Joseph and Maria, had gathered in the church entrance and were now walking, singing the chorale Come and let's honor Christ, along the aisle of the church up to the podium. They spread out and stood on the right and left side of the podium and formed the choir, because many old Christmas carols and chorales were sung during the game. They were also the living curtain in the following scenes.

1st image: Mary and Joseph come out from behind the altar, step to the center of the podium and talk about the trip to Jerusalem. Josef is very despondent. But Mary has great trust in God and comforts Joseph. Both step back behind the altar. From there, the beautiful folk song Maria durch ein 'Dornwald went with violin accompaniment from Josef can be heard from Maria .

2nd picture: Maria and Josef are looking for a hostel. They are harshly rejected by the landlord, but the landlord's daughter has mercy and leads them into the stable.

3rd picture: The scene of the shepherds in the field is one of the most beautiful in the game. They are around a small fire. A shepherd tells the old tale of one night and after the shepherd's flute they go to sleep. The Annunciation angel appears and brings them the news of the birth of the Savior. The three-part angel choir sings Glory to God on high .

4th image: Maria and Joseph are at the manger. Maria sings: Josef, dear Josef my, help me weigh my little child ... Josef answers: Gladly, dear Maria, I want to weigh your little child for you ... The beautiful angelic dance shows how well the child is protected.

5th picture: With the song you shepherds, awake! the shepherds come to worship the Christ Child and bring him their gifts: a little wool from the youngest sheep, a mug of milk, the most beautiful apples and nuts from the tree.

6th picture: The three kings appear, worship the child, offer their gifts. During this scene, the chorale Es ist ein Ros' is sung by the choir .

7th picture: The children walk to the crib, singing the song Your little child is coming in two voices. They decorate the nativity scene with a rose garland, bring their presents and kneel down to worship the Christ Child.

8th picture: In the last picture there is a big burning light on the crib. All players kneel down and sing the song Little boy, great god, most beautiful flower white and red . Then an angel comes out, lights his light on the big candle and, turning to the congregation, speaks the verse of a Christmas chorale: Dear Christians in general, let us always be very grateful ... All the other players also light their candles one after the other big light of the manger, stand up to the exit, thereby the manger with Mary and Joseph and the burning light are completely covered, group in twos, and the chorale Praise God, you Christians singing at the same time , all players leave, each with his burning candle in hand, the podium and walk down the aisle back to the exit. Only the big burning candle remains on the podium, the Christmas light for everyone. At the end the congregation sings: Oh, you happy, oh, you blessed, gracious Christmas season.

Sound carrier

Labeser nativity scene from Pomerania . Record or cassette, published in Advent 1978. Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH, Diepholz.

DVD Labeser Nativity Play. Recorded in the St. Willehadi Church in Osterholz-Scharmbeck in December 2015. A film by Flimmern + Rauschen eV www.osterholz-tv.de

literature

  • Fritz Wilke, Walter Nemitz (arrangement): Labes - Our dear hometown. Friends of the homeland of the district town of Labes in Pomerania, Bünningstedt, Hamburg, Lübeck, Hanover, Ratzeburg 1971, pp. 129–133. ( Online )
  • Pomeranian nativity plays and Christmas carols. 2nd Edition. Convention of Protestant Congregations from Pomerania, Hanover 2005, pp. 17–30.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Johannes Hinz : Pomerania. Dictionary. Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-86047-185-6 , p. 187.
  2. ↑ http://www.labeser-krippenspiel.de/Veranstaltungen/Labeser_Krippenspiel/labeser_krippenspiel.html
  3. ↑ Fritz Wilke, Walter Nemitz (arr.): Labes - Our dear hometown. Home friends of the district town of Labes in Pomerania, Bünningstedt, Hamburg, Lübeck, Hanover, Ratzeburg 1971, pp. 130-133.