This year, the nativity scene in Ulm Minster will be without the three kings - and there is a lot of excitement about that.
In addition to the coronavirus, the racism debate is also dominating the media this year. A small trivial fact was greatly inflated in the media: The Three Kings will be missing from Ulm Minster this year.
Various users and news sites don't seem to like this at all:
In fact, the three characters will not be seen this year, and there is a reason for that: the portrayal of Melchior in particular and the story behind the character are racist from today's perspective.
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The reasoning
For example, Stern on Dean Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl's statement in this regard:
“The wooden figure of Melchior, with its thick lips and misshapen stature, is clearly seen as racist from today’s perspective.”
But it's not just Melchior who is the stumbling block: the white king's train is also carried by a little black boy.
In a press release, the Protestant Dean's Office in Ulm goes into more detail about the reasoning.
“Of course, in church tradition, a black king belongs at the nativity scene. This point was never controversial. The way the black king is depicted is problematic. He is depicted with a grimace, bulging lips, a grotesque posture and unsightly legs. A “Moor child” serves as a train bearer for a white king.”
The legend
There is also a legend about the figure of Melchior, which is firmly connected to the history of the nativity scene, but from today's perspective also seems problematic.
The legend says that Melchior was literally very angry because his hiking companions and he himself ate the sweet-smelling Ulm pretzels that were intended for the baby Jesus.
Various sources
Interesting: The typical nativity scene depiction is based on various sources. In the evangelist Luke, for example, the three kings (actually magicians) are not mentioned.
- Luke tells us about shepherds in the field.
- Isaiah 1:3 mentions oxen and donkeys
- Matthew tells of three wise men (Greek: Magoi)
The depiction of different skin colors has only been around since the 14th century. Reason: Since Jesus is considered the “Savior of the World,” the kings were supposed to represent the three continents known at the time: Europe, Asia and Africa.
Conclusion
By removing the three kings, the dean simply wanted to anticipate a possible racism debate. But thanks to the Streisand effect, it is now even more discussed.
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )