Christmas season at the North German Nativity Museum
This year's new exhibition at the North German Nativity Museum is entitled "Nativity scenes - signs of peace". The exhibits can be seen from Saturday in the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Güstrow. A visit during the hours of darkness, when the cribs are illuminated, is particularly attractive, the museum recommended on the occasion of the official opening of the new exhibition on Friday.
The foundation stone for the collection was laid by Mechthild Ringguth from Hamburg, who has collected 350 nativity scenes from around 60 countries over 40 years. Thanks to further donations, the collection now numbers around 700 nativity scenes from all continents. Since opening in December 2007, almost 73,000 people have visited the museum, which is open all year round.
According to the museum, most of the nativity scenes are made by local artists who created the Christmas story using local materials and their own Christian beliefs. The smallest nativity scene made from a sloe seed is only a few millimetres in size. The collection also includes nativity scenes made from amber, iron, waste paper, wool scraps, hoof nails and finds from the Irish moors.
Visiting the North German Nativity Museum during the Christmas season allows you to admire how local customs merge with Christian beliefs, as seen in the diverse nativity scenes made by artists using local materials. Besides exploring the nativity scenes during daylight, attending the museum after dark, when the cribs are illuminated, creates a unique adventure reminiscent of Christmas evenings.
Source: www.dpa.com
