!!!Krippen

Nativity Scenes, Models of (crèches, cribs), often with carved 
wood figurines. Forerunners of the nativity scenes were paintings in 
early Christian catacombs, on liturgical implements, frescoes and 
altarpieces, as well as the mystery plays performed in monasteries in 
the Early Middle Ages (e.g. Nativity plays). Other forms of nativity 
scenes are carved nativity altars (shrine of Oppenberg, Styria; 
nativity altar in Bozen/Bolzano, South Tyrol) and adoration scenes in 
predelle (Pacher altar in St. Wolfgang, Upper Austria; altar in 
Sierning, Upper Austria). In the 16%%sup th/%  century cribs came to 
Austria (Prague 1562, Graz 1579, Innsbruck 1608, Hall in Tirol 1609) 
from Italy, where the first large cribs displayed in churches were 
mostly made popular by the Jesuits and the Franciscans. Outstanding 
works of Baroque nativity scenes are the Stammel crib in Kalwang 
(Styria, 1751), the crib in the abbey church of Admont (Styria, 1755), 
the Nativity chapel by J. C. Hackhofer near Festenburg Castle (in St. 
Lorenzen am Wechsel, Styria) and the crib in the abbey church of St. 
Lambrecht (Styria, 1782), consisting of 132 figurines. Famous cribs in 
Upper Austria are the carved cribs made in the workshop of 
Schwanthaler (e.g. in Pram, Altmuenster, Heimathaus Ried) and the 
small crib made from boxwood by M. Rittinger in Garsten (around 1712). 
In the 17%%sup th/%  and 18%%sup th/%  centuries people began to 
perform Nativity plays accompanied by music with the crib figurines 
(the  "Steyrer Kripperl" in Upper Austria and the "Traismaurer 
Kripperl" in Lower Austria continue this tradition) and started to 
make mechanical cribs. Emperor Joseph II prohibited the use of cribs 
in churches in 1782. This prohibition was abolished in 1804, since 
people had started setting up cribs in their homes, where they became 
part of the Christmas customs. In the 2%%sup nd/%  half of the 
19%%sup th/%  century cribs experienced an upsurge. The cribs made by 
J. Fuehrich definitely influenced the new style in crib-making; in 
Tirol wood carvers tried to give an exact image of Nazareth and 
Palestine with their "oriental cribs". Cribs were especially common in 
the mining regions of Tirol and the Salzkammergut region, where there 
is still the custom of visiting cribs ("Kripperl-Schauen") at 
Christmas and Candlemas (February 2). In 1909 the "Society of Friends 
of Cribs" was founded in Tirol. Apart from Christmas cribs there are 
also "Lenten cribs", which depict the passion and the death of Jesus 
in Holy Week. Famous cribs are on display in the folklore museums of 
Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Linz, Graz and Leoben.

!Literature
L. Kretzenbacher, Weihnachts-Krippen in der Steiermark, 
1953; R. Berliner, Die Weihnachts-Krippen, 1955; O. Kastner, Die 
Krippen, 1963; E. Egg and H. Menardi, Das Tiroler Krippen-Buch, 1985; 
F. Grieshofer (ed.), Krippen, 1987.


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