Snow Crib @museum.de

F: Christus mansionem benedicat – May Christ bless this house! That’s the inscription above the entrance to our Nativity Trail, and that’s where you’ll find this beautiful snow crib from the Moselle region. But first, a few words about our Nativity Street in general.

M: It’s designed to evoke the old wine-grower's house. You may remember that our museum is built on its walls. The walls here display the typical half-timbered style that’s still found in Klüsserath and along the Moselle. We’ve re-used the original beams from the wine-grower's house. The slates on the makeshift roofs once protected the wine-grower's house from wind and rain. Look through the windows to see the cribs inside the individual houses – like this snow crib.

F: Snow cribs, in which the snow plays a key role in shaping the style, have their own special appeal. What makes them stand out is the way the snow contrasts with the hay and straw, with the timber and masonry – but especially with the warm light in the stable.

This particular snow crib was created by the crib builder Klaus Porten, one of the founders of our association. He’s chosen a setting for his crib that has a particular significance for him. Perhaps you’ve even recognised the surroundings.

M: Quite right, it’s Klüsserath! On the left-hand side of the road is the museum building as it once was. On the right is the house where Klaus Porten was born.

F: He carved the figures himself. Joseph, for instance, is wearing a linen apron that’s typical of the local region. The wine barrel is a reminder of the building's former use as a wine-growers' house.

M: Be sure to pay particular attention to the starry sky! It always seems especially festive around the Christmas period, when Jupiter and Venus are busily trying to outshine each other. Our night sky shows the constellations over Europe on the 24th of December.