Three Kings from Christmas Crib returned to family in racism dispute
After controversial discussion
What will happen to the controversial Ulm Cathedral nativity figures now?
The figure of Melchior (centre) was the subject of heated debate. Now, together with the other figures of the Magi, it will be returned to the donor family.
In 2020, the depiction of King Melchior in particular had caused controversy. The figures were not put up again for the time being. And now?
There was a controversial discussion about the nativity figures in Ulm Cathedral (which is Protestant) in autumn 2020. The main reason was the depiction of King Melchior. According to the responsible church council, the depiction of King Melchior was too clichéd and racist. Now the committee has decided to return the nativity figures to the donor family. They will therefore no longer be on display in the cathedral.
Start of a worldwide debate on racism
The committee had been discussing the Melchior figure for some time. Then, in autumn 2020, the parish council decided to put up the nativity figures at Christmas without the Magi. at that time, racially motivated police violence in the USA and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations dominated the headlines. A global debate on racism was launched.
At the time, the debate also included a nationwide discussion about the painting of carol singers who go out on the streets as Melchior. Everything was no longer in keeping with the times, they said. A street in Ulm also made it into the racism debate at this time, namely Mohrengasse. Critics demanded that the alley be renamed. Thus the debate also reached the depiction of Melchior as part of the nativity figures in Ulm Minster.
Figure is designed differently from the rest
The depiction of Melchior and other figures from the Nativity ensemble were scrutinised. Not the skin colour of King Melchior, for example. The parish council was of the opinion that Melchior was clichéd and "overdrawn to the point of grotesqueness".
In fact, in contrast to the other depictions in the cot, the figure has thicker lips, a misshapen stature resembling an ape, and feather ornaments adorn his head. So in 2020 it was clear to the parish council: Melchior and with him the other kings would stay away from the nativity scene for the time being. In 2021 and 2022, the entire nativity scene remained in storage.
Representation should not disparage people
The figures could possibly be permanently displayed in the Ulm Museum. "It is our task to show in which time artists lived and what is reflected from this time in their art," said director Stefanie Dathe on Tuesday.
This also applies, for example, to the depiction of colonial racist stereotypes. The museum is currently being redesigned and, according to Dathe, will also teach its visitors about the difficulties of dealing with pieces with a colonial context, for example.
If a nativity scene is shown there, it should lead to meditation and praise of God and not degrade people through the depiction of individual figures," it says in a current statement on the matter. It is also emphasised that "the decision was not based on the artistic value of the figures".
How the Christmas Crib came into being
In the 1920s, the Mössner family had commissioned the Ulm artist Marin Scheible to create the nativity scene. In 1992, descendants handed it over to the cathedral parish with the wish to display it every year in the cathedral during Advent - which they did until 2020.
Representatives of the family had taken this as an opportunity year after year to meet in Ulm during Advent to see "their" Christmas Crib. This excursion will now be cancelled. A representative of the Mössner heirs' community wrote to the parish council that they were nevertheless grateful to the cathedral parish for showing the Christmas Crib over the years.
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