We invite you to the Nativity Scene Exhibition
Starting this Friday (21 November), the Ethnographic Museum in Toruń will offer visitors a taste of the upcoming festive season. We invite you to the opening of an exhibition of Christmas nativity scenes from the museum’s rich collection.
The exhibition “Nativity Scenes for Christmas. The Collection of the Ethnographic Museum in Toruń” presents around 100 items from a collection last shown in 2007. Since then, the collection has grown significantly, especially with sculpted nativity scenes acquired from folk-art collectors.
— For the exhibition, we selected works by non-professional artists from all over Poland, representing remarkably diverse artistic approaches – from raw, schematic, unpainted carvings to multi-element, colourful compositions, — emphasizes Hanna Łopatyńska, the exhibition’s author and head of the Department of Folklore and Social Culture.
Among the displayed objects are also carollers’ props illustrating the tradition of carrying a nativity scene around different regions of the country – from Kashubia to Podhale. Some of them were made by the carollers themselves. The oldest nativity scene dates back to the 1930s, while the accompanying puppets are from the 19th century.
One of the exhibition’s unique attractions is the opportunity to listen to a recording of a Kujawy nativity scene performed by Józef Zimecki, a nativity scene maker born in 1888. Visitors will also see colourful Kraków nativity scenes, inspired by the city’s architecture and inscribed in 2018 on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The exhibition is complemented by home nativity scenes, traditionally placed under the Christmas tree, made from a variety of often surprising materials – including walnut shells and orange peels.
The exhibition will be open until 15 February.
Press Office of the Marshal’s Office
and the Maria Znamierowska-Prüffer Ethnographic Museum in Toruń
19 November 2025