Christmas - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1979 - 60 Pfennig

Supporting the tasks of the Free Welfare Care The depiction of the Nativity shows a small part of the magnificently equipped side 16r of the Gradual D 35 of the former Cistercian Abbey Altenberg near Cologne. On this page begins the third Christmas Mass with the well-known introitus "Puer natus est nobis - a child is born to us". The initial P (uer), whose letter body is formed from blue foliage, stands out on the golden background through the color contrast. The loop of the letter P encloses an open stable, which is made of wooden beams and whose roof is covered with thatch. Mary is wrapped in a blue robe and in a blue cloak with rich and wide drapery and wears a radial Nimbus around her head. She adores the divine child with folded hands. An unearthly expression rests on her face. The hl. Josef in a red robe with a gray upper throw holds his hands protectively over the newborn, which lies on the ground and is surrounded by a bright radiance. The painter did not forget the ox and the donkey, they stand behind the crib and look curiously at what's in front of their eyes. The Altenberg painter monk has created a picture of exquisite beauty and rare expressiveness. The parchment manuscript D 35 contains the winter part of the gradual on 205 leaves. In the initial C to the Alleluia: Conceptio gloriosae Virginis is on a winding banner the year 1545 read. The year indicates the completion of the Code. Because the Graduale D 35 belongs with four large parchment foils (D 32 to D 36) to the manuscripts written and illuminated under Abbot Wilhelm Hittorp (1538-1560) between 1540 and 1555 in the Altenberg scriptorium. The manuscript measures 570 x 385 mm and includes nine staves per page. The monks wrote the late hoof nail notes on four-line system with red f-line using C and F keys. In addition to four large pictorial representations, the Graduale is decorated with many initials in gold and wickerwork with marginal ridges that reveal artistic taste. An ornamental braid of plants with finely-shaped leaves, flowers and ripe fruit surrounds the page written and notated with the Christmas scene and runs through the Altenberger monogram AL with the coat of arms, which is shown in the middle at the bottom. The coat of arms of Altenberg shows a green triple mountain with a growing staff. With other manuscripts came the choral book, which was used by the Cistercians for more than two centuries in the Altenberg Cathedral at the daily Hochamt, when the monastery was abolished in 1803 in the electoral library to Dusseldorf, where it is now stored in the Heinrich Heine Institute. (Text: P. Dr. Gabriel Hammer, Marienstatt Abbey)