This Christmas scene is rubbish- literally

 The crib in the Protestant Church Association of the Cologne region shows Christmas as a celebration between consumption and contemplation. (Cathcon: rather what Protestantism can do to culture and art.)



 "Follow the star to traditional and international Christmas crib art" until January 6, 2015 at the 19th Cologne Christmas Crib Path. At over 110 stations across Cologne, international crib art is on offer at the highest level, organized and hosted by the Rheinstil Kulturmanagement

On display are traditional Christmas cribs from various historical periods, contemporary artists and traditional popular Christmas cribs from many cultures. The cribs are to be found at publicly accessible locations such as shop windows, in cultural and religious institutions, in Cologne Central Station, at the Christmas markets and in many Catholic and Protestant churches, who are taking part in the Crib Path. 

In contrast, a very moving Crib in the main station- showing a Crib set in the shadow of the ruins of Cologne Cathedral in 1945.

 

Complete with the Cardinal Archbishop and two servers (just visible behind) on their way to pay homage to the King of Kings.

As it was

 




The days when Cologne was more fully Catholic- scenes from the German Catholic Day in 1956, including Cardinal Frings who was later to do such damage at the Vatican Council by breaking the power of the curia, with a speech drafted for him by a young Joseph Ratzinger.




Source