Root nativity scene Rheinbrohl

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The root crib in the church of St. Suitbertus in Rheinbrohl in 1991 from the Nativity Association ArsKRIPPANA in Losheim awarded the largest artistically designed root crib Europe.

St. Suitbertus
Root nativity scene Rheinbrohl
crib

history

Soon after the completion of the church in 1856, a nativity scene was set up there for Christmas. In 1896 the parish acquired artificial stone figures to create the nativity scene, which are still in use. The nativity scene can be seen annually from December 24th to February 2nd. In the first half of the last century a relatively simple thatched barn was built and a small landscape was created around it using paper mache and paint. In 1945, after the heavy bombing raids on Rheinbrohl, almost all the utensils needed to build the crib, which were kept in a barn, were burned. Only the crib figures survived the war, they were kept in the rectory. In 1946 a crib was rebuilt.

The former altar boy Josef Kurtscheid, who helped building the crib as early as 1940 at the age of seven, took over the construction in 1950 and has built a root crib every year since then, which has grown ever larger. In 1976, the root manger extended over the entrance door to the transept , so that visitors could walk through the manger. In 1991 the complete crib was transported to the Krippana crib exhibition in Losheim and exhibited there.

Crib construction

Every year at the beginning of November, the Rheinbrohler crib builders meet to start construction. The components are stored in three sea containers. First, a frame made of pallet columns, large tables and wall supports is built. Then the actual crib construction begins, with around 35 cubic meters of roots, up to 150 plants, four cubic meters of green waste and five square meters of moss being processed. The total area of ​​the crib is 56 m² and covers the area of ​​the north transept. A five and a half meter high mountain range rises behind the crib, the plain with a stream in front of the crib protrudes almost four meters into the room.

On Epiphany, the three wise men are set up with their entourage. There are a total of 69 figures in the nativity scene. The angel of the Annunciation can be seen at the highest elevation with the poinsettia above it, while Herod's castle is located in the northwest corner . A few days before Christmas, the entire church interior is decorated for Christmas and on Christmas Eve the curtain falls, behind which the root crib was hidden.

The construction of the crib takes about 1200 person-hours.

Web links

Commons : Nativity Scene  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files