Nativity scenes and views of places

Visitors to the "Two exhibitions - one place" in the Taufkirchen moated castle will find the ideal way to get in the mood for the stade time.

On display are "paper cribs to amaze and smile at" and "aerial photos of our homeland from a bird's eye view".

Taufkirchen

- 60 colorful paper cribs with up to 100 figures are exhibited by collector Benno Hofbrückl from Vilshofen.

The well-read, now 80-year-old, has been back to the Czech Republic again and again since 1968.

In his job as a youth worker, later as managing director of the district youth association in Lower Bavaria, he supported the local church and resistance movement.

During this time, he says, he got to know and love the people there.

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Emmi and Benno Hofbrückl from Vilshofen show "Paper cribs that make you wonder and smile".

© Birgit Lang

All of his paper cribs come from places he has visited with his wife Emmi.

Some of them were illustrated by prominent people such as the children's book author Josef Lada (“Kater Miksch”).

The birth of Jesus is always incorporated into a village event in the exhibits, such as in the “Bohemian Paradise”.

Traditions or fairs are often represented with typical costumes or old professions such as binders, glass chain makers, snake charmers and bear drivers, according to the collector.

Funny scenes can also be seen, such as Saint Nepomuk, whose purse is stolen by a thief, a cow that is just relieving itself, or one of the Three Kings, whom the devil is fetching.

The nativity scenes are drawn in different styles, from naive to pop-like.

They come from the Carpathian Mountains, Cracow or Bohemian Canada, but also from the Bavarian Forest and the former GDR.

There is even an advertising crib for soaps from the 1930s and an award-winning silver crib.

Many of the exhibits are reprints, i.e. copies of originals, explains Hofbrückl and says: “I like them all.” He sometimes cuts the figures out of printed sheets himself, sticks them to wood and sticks them with needles onto painted styrofoam sheets to create the nativity scene.

And for each one in the exhibition he put a card with background information.

The photo exhibition one room further is just as interesting, especially for people from the region around Taufkirchen.

Archivist Tobi Karbaumer, his father Konrad and Hermann Hoffmann compiled these from 330 aerial photos from the local history archive.

It is the first of many exhibitions that are to follow with exhibits from the open depot, revealed Konrad Karbaumer.

The oldest of the photos shown in the moated castle is an aerial photo of Taufkirchen, which was taken from a tethered balloon in 1915 on behalf of the War Ministry.

At that time Taufkirchen was still a street village, says Karbaumer.

A photo by Hans Seeholzer almost 100 years later can be seen from almost the same perspective.

Subdivided thematically into Waldbad, Himolla, settlements, streets, villages and desert areas, all photographs are clearly laid out on display boards.

"These aerial photos show particularly clearly how the main town and the surrounding villages have developed over the last few decades," explains the long-standing administrative director, who knows the community better than anyone else.

In some aerial photos, on which you can only see a smaller segment of a settlement, it says “Where is that?” Underneath.

Karbaumer promises that anyone who knows will get a bottle of sparkling wine.

Mayor Stefan Haberl already looked at the two exhibitions.

He thanked everyone and emphasized that those involved had decided to hold the show because they wanted to offer a little Christmas spirit, but there was also a strict hygiene concept: 2G-plus and FFP2 mask requirements apply.

opening hours

Both exhibitions are open with free admission on the

on November 28th, 3rd / 4th / 5th, 10th / 11th / 12th.

as well as on 17./18./19.

December and additionally on 1st / 2nd

and January 6th.

The rooms are accessible on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A rapid antigen test in the form of a self-test can be carried out on site under supervision.

The test is provided by the organizer free of charge.