Moselle-Style Crib (Judengasse) @museum.de

F: Perhaps you’re familiar with the city of Trier and have even visited the beautiful old town. In that case, you may well recognise the three houses overlooking the Hauptmarkt. It’s the site of the Judenpforte, the Jewry Gate, through which you enter the winding alley called Judengasse with its ancient houses. In medieval times, this was where the Jewish population lived. Anyone familiar with Judengasse will recognise how accurately the model has captured the atmosphere. This is the setting crib builder Doris Fiedler chose for her contemporary nativity scene.

M: Incidentally, this piece was made on one of our crib-building courses. Doris Fiedler trained as a goldsmith, so naturally, she already had considerable manual skills. But – and we know this from experience – once you open up to the magic of the Christmas crib, it will never let you go. But let’s get back to our Moselle-style crib with the region’s typical half-timbered houses.

F: The nativity scene with the Holy Family is integrated into town life, just as it might have played out in a medieval marketplace. We see people going about their daily lives. There’s a workshop and a tavern. If you peer through the gateway, you can see all the way to the end of Judengasse.

M: Crib builders integrate their cribs into every possible social environment. There are no limits to their imagination. This example shows that a nativity scene can happen anywhere.