The Holy Family and its image in the nativity scene

This year's Christmas exhibition at the Diocesan Museum is dedicated to an exciting theme. The Holy Family is the focal point of almost every nativity scene and depicts the intimate moment of Christmas Eve. Numerous artists have been inspired by this. However, there are other motifs that are somewhat less prominent but place the family at the center. The Holy Change, for example, shows Jesus as a child accompanied by his parents. The Osnabrück-Emsland Nativity Scene Association was able to add a depiction by Ludwig Nolde to its collection, which is being shown for the first time in the exhibition.

However, the traditional image of the Holy Family should not obscure the fact that this supposed ideal has only ever been a part of reality. Families have existed and continue to exist in many forms other than the classic nuclear family. Even today, they sometimes struggle for acceptance and visibility. Some contemporary nativity scenes in the exhibition give an idea of how diverse family images are and invite discussion. And last but not least, the question arises as to how close the Holy Family actually is to its own ideal.

The Christmas exhibition shows 60 objects of various origins and materials. It is a cooperation between the Diözesanmuseum and the Krippenverein Osnabrück-Emsland e.V.

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