Nagelschmiedkrippe
Nagelschmiedkrippen are Christmas nativity scenes that were made in iron forges for domestic use in Upper Austria , in the Garsten and Steyr area , from the beginning of the 19th century .
history
The nativity scene in Upper Austria goes back to the baroque art nativity scenes from the Benedictine Abbey of Garsten . Picture carvers like Hans Spindler (1636), Johann Spindler the Elder. J. (1725) or the lay brother Marian Rittinger (1705) created artistic nativity scenes for the collegiate and parish churches in the area, with the boxwood nativity scene by Rittlinger occupying an outstanding position in terms of art history . The Garsten Benedictine Abbey was dissolved by Emperor Josef II in 1787 ; In 1782, among other things, he banned the setting up of cribs in church buildings. The ban on traditional customs was received with displeasure by the population and cribs became increasingly widespread in private households from 1800 onwards. After the ban on cribs was lifted in 1804, cribs were shown again in churches.
In the vicinity of the Enns and Steyr valleys , especially in Dambach and Lahrndorf , day laborers and blacksmiths in the scythe and nail smiths' workshops began producing simple and inexpensive box cribs at the beginning of the 19th century . Nail smiths are characterized by the use of hand-forged nails in the crib boxes. The sale of the nail smith nativity scenes at church fairs and markets ensured the blacksmiths a modest additional income.
Since the poorer rural population, day laborers and blacksmiths could not afford elaborately carved figures, the nativity scene figures were made from paper or baked clay or clay . The so-called Loahmmandl (clay men) are shaped into semi-relief figures with the help of old models , fired and then painted.
Starting from the nail smiths in the Garsten and Steyr area, domestic crib construction spread in the Enns and Steyr valleys. The nativity scenes made in this region are called Ennstal box nativity sets . Many nativity scenes were created in the second half of the 19th century. The mostly popular or rural cribs were common in this Upper Austrian region as a typical form of the house crib until the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to the depiction of biblical motifs, these folk nativity scenes are characterized above all by the addition of local customs and everyday scenes. The nail smith nativity scenes were set up as corner nativity scenes in the Herrgottswinkel or as wall nativity scenes in wall niches.
After 1900 the Loahmmandl were gradually replaced by serially carved figures and the box nativity sets gradually u. a. replaced by root cribs. In the 1970s, many of the old nails were rediscovered, restored and scientifically processed. Since then, nail-smith and box nativity scenes have been made in various workshops. The Loahmmandl figures are now cast according to old models.
Structure and figures
The backdrop of the nail smith's crib, painted or made of paper mache , is arranged in a wooden box. The crib is usually built in three stages. In the center of the scenery is the nativity scene with the baby Jesus and the Holy Family in a stable, a grotto or a ruin. The simple, ruinous stable symbolizes the decline of the ancient, old, pagan world, while the crib with the child indicates the beginning of a new time. The colors of the clothes of the Holy Family and the Magi are identical in many nativity scenes: Mary is usually depicted in the colors blue (truth), red (love) and white (purity and innocence), while Joseph is shown in the colors blue-violet, Yellow and brown is depicted. The kings Kasper, Balthasar and Melchior wear blue, red and green robes in the nativity scenes. The white diapers and the pillow of the baby Jesus are symbolic of innocence and purity.
In the background, the city of Bethlehem rises on a rock . On the shepherd's field, the shepherds with sheep, musicians, gift bringers and the three wise men and their entourage are arranged. Every nativity scene includes the angel of glory, wisdom and the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit and the star of Bethlehem with the comet's tail.
The different scenes in the crib box are connected by paths and footbridges, meadows, streams and bridges and symbolically form the transition from the old pagan world to the "modern age". The landscape structured in this way offers space for numerous secondary depictions with different rural or local scenes.
In addition to the figures from the inner circle of the crib, many popular figures are part of the crib, u. a. the Jubelkarl , the Jucheiserer , the apple maid and the apple baker, the egg carrier, the Kasmandl, the Urbal with the canvas , the Naz with the Henn , the farmer's family, the hunter, the Karner boys with the cart, the well women, the vendor's shop, invalids, the loggers and poachers and the vendor's shop. Numerous figures of craftsmen, such as the chimney sweep (as a lucky charm), the miller and butcher, the scissor grinder and pan tinker, the night watchman and also the nail smith himself can often be found in the manger.
In addition to native domestic and forest animals, oriental animals such as elephants and camels are often integrated into the scenes.
reception
Nail smith nativity scenes are exhibited every year at Advent and Christmas in numerous nativity scenes in villages along the Eisenstrasse . In the Garsten Abbey Museum there is permanent and a. a nail smith's crib from 1850 made by Josef Garb is shown. In many, e.g. T. publicly accessible private collections, u. a. Historical and contemporary Nagelschmied and Ennstaler box nativity scenes are exhibited by Willi Pils from Steinbach an der Steyr , Rosina Gruber from Großraming , Elfriede and Karl Mayer from Garsten and Paul Pfaffenbichler from Steyr. The historical models for the Loahmmandl crib figures have been collected in the Museum of the City of Steyr since 1901 .
During the Upper Austrian provincial exhibition in 1998, Land der Hämmer - Heimat Eisenwurzen , the traditional nail smith nativity scenes were shown in Garsten in the Krippenland station on Eisenstrasse .
literature
- Karl Mayer, Gerald Kapfer: Christmas cribs from Garsten, Steyr, Christkindl. Linz 1992
- Rosina Gruber: Magische Krippenwelt , Steyr 2001
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Karl Mayer: Garsten: Krippenland on Eisenstrasse . In: Julius Stieber (Ed.): Land of Hammers - Home Eisenwurzen . 1st edition. Residenz, Salzburg 1998, ISBN 3-7017-1114-3 , p. 384-386 .
- ↑ a b Nagelschmiedkrippen, Jubelkarl and Punschstandeln. Retrieved December 8, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Nagelschmiedkrippen and Loahmmandl in the Steyr area. Upper Austrian regional association of crib friends, accessed on December 11, 2019 (German).
- ↑ Nail blacksmith nativity scenes. Accessed December 8, 2019 (German).
- ↑ a b c Peter Schrettl: Nagelschmiedkrippe. Retrieved December 10, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Garstner crib tradition. Retrieved December 10, 2019 (Austrian German).
- ^ Garsten Abbey Museum, 4451 Garsten. Retrieved December 10, 2019 .