Curious theft: Oberammergau Christkind disappeared from the Christmas market in Berlin

Created: 01/07/2022, 06:30 AM

From: Christian Fellner

Basically life-size: the figure of the Christ Child from Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt is wanted.

© LKA Berlin

The Berlin State Criminal Police Office even offered a reward of 1000 euros: For the second time within a few days, the Berlin Christkindl has disappeared from the Gendarmenmarkt.

It is a unique piece by the artist Ernst Kraus from Oberammergau.

Berlin / Oberammergau

- The police in distant Berlin are looking for a missing Christ Child. Not a physical one, of course. Instead, we are looking for a 45 to 50 centimeter wooden figure by the artist Ernst Kraus from Oberammergau. This was stolen from the Christmas market on the Berlin Gendarmenmarkt on December 19th, fourth Advent. The state criminal investigation office there has now initiated a major search and even advertised a reward of 1000 euros.

The figure weighs - similar to a real newborn - around three kilograms. At the market in Berlin-Mitte it was part of a life-size diagram of the Bethlehem stable. The artist Kraus, who runs a traditional business in Oberammergau in the sixth generation, made the Christ Child from linden wood in 2004. According to a report by the Berliner Morgenpost, his daughter painted it. The figure is wearing a linen cloth, has blue eyes and light brown hair. This is also noted in the search notice, which was also distributed via Twitter in the social networks. The police asked for information as to whether someone noticed the wooden figure or whether it was offered for sale, exchange or as a deposit.

The case has caused quite a stir in Berlin in the past few days.

Because the carving did not disappear for the first time on the fourth Advent.

That's what the newspapers report there.

Two days earlier, on December 17th, several young people had apparently been having fun and stole the figure from the crib.

But they were caught by the security service of the market.

As a result, the child was secured with a wire - without success.

For more than 15 years, the figure, which costs around 1000 euros, has been lying quietly in its crib every year.

Now everyone involved is hoping that she will reappear.

Because, as Kraus has assured the Berliner Tagesspiegel, the Christ Child is a unique item that is difficult to sell.