I love Christmas time. When I was little, I played Christmas even in the summer. 🙂 What Christmas time means to me, besides vanilla-scented cookies, a decorated, sparkling tree, carp with potato salad and of course meeting my family, is a nativity scene.

When I was little, I used to go to my classmate Maruška’s house to watch a nativity scene. Her father, Martin Krist, had a big nativity scene at home. And it wasn’t just any ordinary nativity scene. It took up a big room and the figures in it were “smeared” with Slovak folklore. Many of the figures wore Kyjov folk costumes. It is beautifully colorful, so it was a wonderful feast for the eyes. And what about the children’s ones! ♥ I remember that Maruška even gave me one of the figures home. But then we were afraid that her father would recognize it, so we preferred to return it there. 🙂

However, I wanted to see the beautiful big wooden one that I had seen on TV. So on our way back from Česká Skalica to Prague, we also went to see the Třebechovice Nativity Scene. And I have to say, it is a truly perfect experience!

TŘEBECHOVICKÝ BETLÉM A JEHO PŘÍBĚH — The nativity scene is 7 meters long, more than 3 meters wide and 2 meters high. The figures are 10 to 15 cm tall.

The Třebechovice nativity scene is the only nativity scene in the Czech Republic declared a national cultural monument. The entire museum is very nicely designed. This masterpiece contains more than 2000 carved parts. Each figure tells its own story, so you don’t know where to look.

NATIVITY SCENE WITH VIRGIN MARY,

JOSEPH AND BABY JESUS

The main motif is of course the nativity scene with the Virgin Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. The rest of the story takes place on seven terraces.

On the left side, on the ground floor terrace, you will find figurines of craftsmen and ordinary people at work, and gradually on other terraces, the Třebechovice band plays, local blacksmiths pound on an anvil, or you will find a procession that came to give gifts to the baby Jesus.

On the terraces you will find scenes from the ordinary life of ordinary people. The figures are made of linden and pear wood. The author was inspired by real characters from Třebechovice and the surrounding area. You will also find the author’s neighbors, the blacksmith, and his acquaintances.

BIBLICAL SCENES

On other terraces you will find biblical scenes from the Annunciation to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to his ascension. And it is said that some citizens of Třebechovic can even be recognized among the biblical characters.

LOSS OF A FIGURINE

The elephant is the only figurine that has been lost during the existence of the nativity scene. It did not return from EXPO in Montreal, Canada. The restorers had to make another elephant, but because it looked a little different, a third elephant was created. And this is a true copy of the first one.

CLOCK TOWERS

The clock tower is really beautiful. It is actually a working clock on the tower. However, it is now turned off.

DESCENT FROM THE CROSS

The Descent from the Cross – the Stations of the Cross scene is at the top and is somewhat in shadow and not very visible. However, it is one of the most elaborate and artistically valuable elements of the nativity scene.

JOINER

A joiner – a rather inconspicuous figure who works at a sawmill and cuts on a saw. It is interesting because the author of the nativity scene, Josef Probošt, depicted himself in it, even with the moustache that is so typical of him.

THE BOY IN THE TREE

The boy on the tree – that’s Ludva Fabián, who helped the carvers. The provost carved him for it. And he carved him on the tree on purpose, because he knew that he was going to the orchard for other people’s fruit.

In addition to the movable nativity scene, Josef Probošt created other carvings. He carved a model of Potštejn Castle.

The movement mechanism of the nativity scene is made entirely of wood. Beech, cherry and hornbeam predominate. It consists of more than 150 different gears and wooden levers, chains and belts. Today, there is a small electric motor that replaces the crank that previously set the entire nativity scene in motion.

AND HOW DID IT ALL START?

The creator of the nativity scene is Josef Probošt. He trained as a carpenter. When he returned from the army, he took over the farm from his father. He married the younger Anna, who was 15 years younger. A year after the wedding, the Probošts had a son, Josífek. However, he died soon after, and his departure left a great sadness in the hearts of both parents. So Josef decided to surprise his wife with a hand-carved nativity scene. He gave it to her for Christmas in 1885. Not only his wife, but also his friends and neighbors liked it. And after this success, he decided to create a much larger nativity scene.

He became friends with Josef Kapucian, who carved figures for his nativity scene. He himself devoted himself to landscape design and architecture. He enjoyed the nativity scene so much that he lost interest in working on the farm and left all the work to his wife and daughter. His next collaborator was the axeman Josef Friml, and thanks to him the entire nativity scene started to move. What was very important to him was that the figures moved naturally.

They built the nativity scene in length so that it could travel with them. They had barely finished it properly when World War I broke out. It prevented them from traveling to pilgrimages and exhibitions. The expected financial success did not come and the Probošt became a bitter and grumpy person. When he died, no one took care of the nativity scene for eight years because it had brought disappointment.

The provost’s daughter sold it and the nativity scene began to gain fame again. It even survived World War II. After its end, the Communist Party came to power and the nativity scene became state property. The chairman of the local National Committee even advocated that the nativity scene should be burned because it was a product of religious obscurantism. Fortunately, he was unsuccessful. In the early 1960s, the nativity scene became known to the public thanks to journalists and made its way across the ocean to Montreal, Canada, for the EXPO 1967 World Exhibition. It subsequently made its way to The Hague, Prague and London. However, it returned damaged from its travels and it was decided that it would remain in Třebechovice. A specialized museum for nativity scenes was established here. And you can visit it now.

A SMALL SAMPLE FROM THE TŘEBECHOVICE MUSEUM

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF NATIVITIES

In the museum you will also find other nativity scenes made of various materials – wood, ceramics, paper, straw and glass. And you will even find nativity scenes made of bread – so-called “chlebáčci”. A popular type of nativity scene is the paper cut-out one.