Loisachtal Nativity Society

The loveliest time of the year is upon us: soon it’ll be Christmas. And it wouldn’t be Christmas without a traditional nativity scene. So if you’re looking for inspiration, stop by the Loisachtal Nativity Society this December. It’s celebrating its 25th anniversary with a very special nativity scene display.

Fully in the spirit of the Christmas season, the Loisachtal Nativity Society builds nativity scenes. ‘Even when I was in school, I loved building these scenes,’ says spokesman Hans Mader. ‘It’s a tradition that’s always been very close to my heart. As soon as autumn arrives, I start getting itchy fingers.’

The Loisachtal Nativity Society regularly offers building classes, as making a nativity scene is not as easy as it might look. The most important thing is keeping to scale so that the figures and structures go together. ‘Oriental nativity scenes, rustic nativity scenes, or the birth of Christ are the most popular parts of my courses,’ says Hans, who now also offers snowy nativity scenes. Different types of wood are used for the build. Walls are made of stone pine, rocks of moss-covered pieces of beechwood. ‘The Tyrolean nativity scene is built using sunburnt wood, and the roofs and fences are made of grey weathered material.’ He collects this material in the woods – always with a keen eye to check if it is suitable for his needs. Mountain azalea, which grows at an altitude of 2,000 metres, is also used. The finished result is always a very personal creation – depending on who built it.

Put off for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Loisachtal Nativity Society is now presenting its postponed 25th anniversary with a special display of nativity scenes. The anniversary will be celebrated at 7pm on 9 December 2022 in the community hall in Biberwier. This will mark not only the opening of the exhibition ‘A Child is Born’; the nativity scenes will also be blessed that evening by Reverend Thomasz Kukulka. Homemade cakes, coffee, and other tasty drinks will be on offer, and this year there’s also a Christmas nativity scene raffle.

On the following days, visitors can come to can admire the new works, but also older nativity scenes from the courses and the society in the Biberwier community hall. Just drop by between 10am and 8pm on 10 December or between 10am and 6pm on 11 December. The Loisachtal Nativity Society welcomes all visitors, ‘but the highlight of the exhibition will be when people from all sorts of different places come here to admire the works,’ Hans is happy to say.