Noël novelties: a survey of fantastic Czech nativities

The Czech passion for nativities dates back to 1780, when Emperor Joseph II banned them from display in churches

Guest Writer | 16.12.2011

A man inspects the details of carved wooden figures in a Czech nativity scene from the late 19th century. A Czech subculture still produces and exhibits ‘betlémy’ in a bewildering array of styles and materials (from carved fish to gingerbread)

The Czech Republic boasts the world’s largest mechanical nativity scene — Krýzovy Jeslíčky in Jindřichův Hradec, which is the most impressive example of a vibrant Czech subculture that continues to produce and exhibit nativity scenes (betlémy) in a bewildering array of styles and materials (from carved fish to gingerbread). The passion for nativities dates back to 1780, when Emperor Joseph II banned them from churches.

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