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Mechanical Christmas mountain - Baby Jesus

Unknownstarted around 1885, redesigned 1987–95

Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Berlin, Germany

The mechanical Christmas mountain by Max Vogel (1867– 1943), reconstructed by Karl-Heinz Fischer (born 1952), is the only one of its kind to be found in a museum outside the Erzgebirge region in eastern Germany. 328 figures, many of them moveable, are distributed across a length of 12 m. A staged landscape with buildings and figures placed before a painted backdrop provides an impressive setting for the following biblical scenes:
1. Annunciation to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel; 2. Birth of Christ (Ill. Cat. III.101 (2)); 3. Annunciation to the shepherds; 4. King Herod; 5. The Magi; 6. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream/Flight to Egypt; 7. Murder of the innocents in Bethlehem; 8. Twelve-year old Jesus at the temple; 9. Portrayal of the Mother of God with child; 10. Baptism of Jesus; 11. Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead; 12. Jesus the good shepherd (Ill.Cat.III.101(12));
13. Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well; 15. Sermon on the Mount (Ill. Cat. III.101 (15)); 16. Tripartite temple pyramid (showing Jesus with angels and the twelve apostles); 17. A blind man (The blind man near Jericho); 18. Entry into Jerusalem; 19. The Last Supper; 20. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane: Mount of Olives; 21. Jesus carrying the cross; 22. Crucifixion; 23. Resurrection (Ill. Cat. III.101 (23)); 24. Jesus on the way to Emmaus.

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  • Title: Mechanical Christmas mountain - Baby Jesus
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date: started around 1885, redesigned 1987–95
  • Location: Neuwürschnitz, Germany
  • Physical Dimensions: w12 x h2,2 x d1,25 m
  • Type: Object
  • Medium: combination of diverse materials
  • Inv.-No.: N (31 Q) 384/1999,1
  • ISIL-No.: DE-MUS-018719
  • External Link: Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Copyright: Text: © Koehler & Amelang Verlag in der Seemann Henschel GmbH & Co. KG / Museum Euopäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / und die Autoren Photo: © Museum Euopäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Ute Franz-Scarciglia
Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

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