Nativity Scenes

We went to Bamberg to see the Nativity Scenes. There are more than 30 scattered around town in churches and museums, and the tour from one to the other is called the Krippenweg (literally "cribs way")
The most famous of the nativity scenes in Bamberg is a wooden relief by Veit Stoß made in 1523 out of linden wood. It is unusual for its column in the middle. It represents either the birth of Jesus (according to Pseudo-Bonaventura, Mary gave birth while leaning on a column and without pain), or the scourging of Jesus. In the wings are scenes of the flight into Egypt, the birth of Mary, the visit from the 3 kings, and the12-year old Jesus in the Temple.




Some were very colorful, like this nativity scene from Grulich with its nice background.











This nativity scene from the town of Oberammergau is set in the bavarian alps










It has wooden figures with clothes made in the country style of the region . . .



















. . . except for the Three Kings, who wear the fancy stuff.











One of the nativity scenes from the Czech Republic was made from glass.












There were Nativity Scenes from many countries. One of the most unusual was from Ruanda. Everything was made from banana leaves.