Nativity scenes from St. Ottilien's Mission Countries


According to the legend, St. Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226) started to depict nativity scenes of Bethlehem with real animals and living people, allegedly instead of a sermon. 

After Protestant Reformation, which was rather critical about such concrete visualizations, the Jesuits supported anew the tradition of the Christmas crib. The missionaries of the early modern era, usually religious members, brought the cribs to foreign countries and used nativity scenes for the evangelization of foreign peoples. Today, nativity scenes have a place in many Christian churches during Christmas time. 

The cribs of our small special exhibition all come from countries where the Mission Benedictines of St. Ottilien are present. 
 

Tanzania


Ebony crib
Big ebony Christmas crib made by the Makonde tribe in southeast Tanzania. Such huge ebony trunks are hundreds of years old and very rare.

Plaster crib
Nativity scene with painted plaster figures. Noticeable is the white Child Jesus; indeed, African newborns in their first weeks are quite light-skinned.

Maasai crib
Balsa wood Christmas crib made by the Maasai tribe. 
The originally light wood was darkened by stain.
 

South Korea


Folk costumes crib
Christmas crib with figures in traditional clothing made by Korean Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing on request of late Brother Bonaventura Schuster OSB (Waegwan Abbey). 

Clay crib
Crib mad of fired clay.
 

India

Rag dolls crib
Holy family with water buffalo and elephant.
 

Kolombia

Indio crib
Painted crib from Colombia. The figures come from the priory at El Rosal and were given to St. Ottilien's Christmas crib collection by Brother Odilo Bonfig OSB.