Neumarkt arrives
Our project
Goals and ideas behind it
Here you’ll find information about the goals and the idea behind this project
Neumarkt arrives
How it all began
At the end of 2022, City Councillor and Integration Officer Rita Großhauser brought the idea of a walk-through nativity scene to Neumarkt. She had seen a nativity scene with life-size figures in Bad Kötzing and was very enthusiastic. From the very beginning, she has been involved in making it happen with incredible commitment and dedication.
Together with Anna Lehrer from the City of Neumarkt’s Social Affairs Department, a unique concept was developed in spring 2023. Since the City of Neumarkt is part of the European Intercultural City network, the nativity scene was meant to stand for mutual understanding and create opportunities to connect. It was to be designed so that people could walk through it on their own and use a QR code to learn more about the figures and the background to the project.
Schools and social institutions were to be brought on board for the project to create plenty of space for tolerance and acceptance.
In total, 8 groups came together who wanted to take part in this project. The original idea was followed by many meetings and preparation sessions with everyone involved. The concept and ideas kept evolving. It was a constant flow of creativity, artistically supported from the very beginning by Monika Bradl. Today, the walk-through nativity scene is a place that offers safety and protection and makes everyone feel welcome, just as they are. It stands for diversity in what we do, but also in who we are.
In 2025, the project will be further developed. Under the name “Neumarkt kommt an”, it is set to become accessible to everyone.
Background information
Who’s on the project team?
Alongside Rita Großhauser and Anna Lehrer, Sharisse Laurente was the one whose own enthusiasm for the project got the vocational school involved. A very important part of the project, because the school plays a major role in the success of the entire project.
The vocational school’s carpentry and metalworking department, led by Martin Sammer, took on the rough work for the figures and built the hut silhouette. Under his responsibility, many hours were spent in the workshop sawing, sanding and varnishing, preparing everything so the individual groups could then paint and design the figures.
All constructions, mounts, or fastenings for the figures were also made by hand. So, a project that is truly unique in every way.
Lena Kunstmann is the artist behind the silhouette. Her design and ideas for this inclusive project give the project the proverbial place and space to arrive. The silhouette was printed by Firma Heck Design.
Catholic Adult Education also contributed a lot of input, represented here by Klaus Schubert. Thanks to him, collaboration on promoting the nativity exhibition and the walk-through nativity scene was possible.
We would also like to thank our municipal depot for logistical support, the Upper Palatinate regional office of Immobilien Freistaat Bayern for granting permission to set it up, Sabine Bauer from BFZ for her ideas at the start of the project, the Civil Engineering Administration and the Building Authority of the City of Neumarkt, as well as the Cultural Office and Press Office for their support and cooperation, and last but not least our web designer Johannes Hierl from JUNGVONBERG for designing the posters, business cards and this website.
Together, through their commitment over many hours of work and their motivation, they have made the project what it is today: unique and truly special.
Background information
Which groups are taking part?
- Neumarkt Vocational School with Martin Sammer
- Ostendorfer Gymnasium with Nicola Thumann
- Regens Wagner with Stefanie Knipfer
- School pastoral care at Weinbergerstraße Middle School with Martina Schmid-Fürsich
- Diakonie day centre with Alexander Liebsch
- Boys’ Realschule with Patrick Solar
- The creative department at Jurawerkstätten with Nicole Kamasys, Magdalena Lutter and Claudia Meier
- The Parish of Our Lady with Pastor Stefan Wingen and Dennis Meindl-Schmidt
- G6 – House for Youth, Education and Culture with Thomas Reichert
- Working group for open disability support with Gudrun Faltus
- BFZ Neumarkt with Sabine Bauer
- Care & YOU with Monika Bittner
- Theo-Betz Primary School with Bianca Schlierf
- Neumarkt Vocational School with Birgit Fteimi
- Open meet-up for people with young-onset dementia with Gisela Stagat and Monika Nutz
- Advisory Council for People with Disabilities with Eva-Maria Mendl-Eggert
- Social Affairs Department of the City of Neumarkt with Anna Lehrer
BRK
Lebenshilfe
ABD
KJR
Regens Wagner
Caritas Social Care Station
Care and YOU
G6 Youth Office
Pölling Community Centre
bfz
Theo Betz Primary School
Ostendorfer Gymnasium
Diakonie NAH
NM Vocational School
House of Youth
Neumarkt Community House
Jurawerkstätten
Hofkirche
NM Boys’ Realschule
Weinberger School
Background information
A special partnership
July 11, 2024—normally just an ordinary school day shortly before the summer holidays, but not for Julian and Jakob from class M8c.
Today, the two students from the middle school on Weinberger Straße set off together with their religion teacher and school pastoral care coordinator Martina Schmid-Fürsich to the Regens Wagner School, a specialist school for care of people with disabilities, on Dr. Schrauth-Straße in Neumarkt. There, they want to paint figures together with residents of Haus Anton, a residential and support service for people after traumatic brain injury.
Stefanie Knipfer, coordinator of the Open Support Services, selected three large wooden figures together with the preparation team and had a carpenter cut them out. Beate Guttenberger, a teacher at the HEP school, had already prepared the blanks for the activity on the large workshop tables: the silhouette of a young girl, a boy on an e-scooter, and a wheelchair user. The three figures show how different we people are.
That “being different” is not something that divides us, but something enriching—this is something the three from Weinberger experience in a special way on this day.
Together with the residents of Haus Anton and department head Christian Meyer, the two students and their teacher work on the figures. Neumarkt artist Monika Bradl is on hand to advise.
Together, they decide which colours suit which part of each figure. Then they paint. The students learn to observe carefully what skills the residents of the support workshop have and where they need help. Conversations emerge, and the atmosphere becomes more relaxed. After two hours of focused work together, the three figures shine in their bright colours.
They shine because people worked together here who had never met before.
They shine because people engaged with one another.
They shine because people supported one another.
They shine because people listened to each other and talked together.
They shine as a sign of a colourful togetherness of all people in our city!
Poster 2025
The project poster can be seen in all municipal facilities as well as in selected public places. It shows the boy with the backpack—a striking silhouette that symbolically stands for arrival, new beginnings and discovery. This motif was chosen deliberately to give the project strong recognition value and spark curiosity.
The poster particularly highlights the key information about the duration of the exhibition and the opening. In this way, it invites people not only to look, but also to join in and discover.
QR code card
The business cards can also be found in many public facilities. They point to this website. The exhibition is designed so that everyone can set off on their own and use the QR code at each figure to get information about the figure and the background to the project.
Neumarkt arrives
Press report during the project phase
Here is a nice press article introducing the project in the Neumarkter Nachrichten.
Press article about the opening of the “walk-through nativity scene” on 2024-12-01 at Residenzplatz in Neumarkt.
Neumarkt arrives
Events
Opening 2025
Lord Mayor Markus Ochsenkühn will open the community project together with Integration Officer Rita Großhauser and all participating groups. Representatives of the groups will present their figures and show them together at several locations in the city of Neumarkt.
Where: Residenzplatz Neumarkt
When: Sunday, 30/11/2025 – 3 PM
Guided tour with figures and their stories
For anyone who can’t make it to the opening, there’s another opportunity three weeks later. Integration Officer Rita Großhauser will take the time again and introduce the figures to everyone interested as part of a guided tour.
Where: Residenzplatz Neumarkt
When: Sunday, 21/12/2025 – 3 PM
Neumarkt arrives
How can I support the project?
Here we would like to highlight the companies and organisations that actively support our project. They are an essential part of our project’s success.
Without the fantastic support of our sponsors and partners, it wouldn’t be possible to deliver projects like this. Thank you!
Would you also like to support us or get involved in the project yourself in the coming years? Then just send us an email.
