The most important and largest nativity scene exhibition in Styria is located in "Auen in Passail"! Dr. Bernd Mayer at the "Birglhof" has more than 600 exhibits from all over the world. The focus of the collector's items is primarily on nativity scenes from the countries of the former K & K Empire.
The Birglhof, the old farm building, was converted into a spacious museum and thus gives the nativity scenes a worthy setting. In addition to large nativity scenes with often several hundred figures from Ebensee or Grulich, impressive natural and shell nativity scenes, treasures from the nativity scene strongholds of Viechtau and Nassereith, there are numerous gems and rarities from the Gothic to modern times.
The unique nativity scenes can be admired during Advent, but also all year round outside exhibition times by telephone arrangement.
Dates winter 2023/2024
fixed opening times - without registration: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
November 25th and 26th
December 2nd and 3rd
December 8th, 9th and 10th
December 16th and 17th
23rd of December
December 30th and 31st
January 6th and 7th
Guided tours by appointment from November 1st to January 31st at:
+43 664 25 65 233
This year's topic:
In 1223, Francis of Assisi had the idea of bringing the Christmas story closer to people by organizing a Christmas service in a nativity scene with live animals in the mountains of Umbria. He is therefore considered the inventor of the figurative nativity scene. The nativity scene museum at Birglhof has chosen this anniversary as the theme of this year's exhibition. You can see the life of St. Francis, mixed with 800 years of history of the nativity scene on 300 m^2 of exhibition space with numerous unique exhibits. Nativity scenes from different eras and cultures that attract young and old alike are shown in the fascinating world of nativity scene culture.