by Kathy Tretter and
Diane Hoppenjans
For many years it has been the dream of Ferdinand Tourism Commission members — the philanthropic body behind Christkindlmarkt — to add a Christmas Pyramid to the Main Street vista in Ferdinand.
“A what?” you might ask.
A Christmas Pyramid, known in Germany where they originated as Weihnachtspyramide, is a tiered Christmas decoration normally placed on a tabletop during the holidays. Each tier is adorned with figurines and candles. The lit candles cause the tiers to spin slowly. A large household Christmas Pyramid would measure around two feet tall with four or five tiers.
Thanks to grants, donations, pledges and copiously guarded savings through the years, Ferdinand will have its very own Christmas Pyramid — majestically standing 32 feet high in the center of town.
The grant, by the way, came through the Dubois County Tourism Capital Improvement Fund.
According to Executive Director Whitney Lubbers, “We wanted to put money into having really great tourism assets for our communities.” She explained that something of this caliber hits all the marks and is sure to be a huge draw. “We are very excited about the pyramid,” she added.
Mary C. Lange was then the first person who stepped up and made a sizable donation to fulfill this dream. Mary and her late husband, Clem, have long been two of the most generous philanthropists regionally, not just for the benefit of Ferdinand but for the betterment of Dubois County.
Others soon followed and fundraising continues.
Ferdinand’s Christmas Pyramid, the fourth U.S. outdoor pyramid to be built in Germany by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst, will stand north of the Historic Wollenmann Home on Main Street in Ferdinand, three minutes off I-64, on a raised knoll of land that feels like the center of town.
Crafted of German Spruce and steel, each tier will feature wood-crafted images.
The first tier will contain the Nativity.
The second tier will include figures near and dear to the community, from founder Rev. Joseph Kundek, Emperor Ferdinand I of the Habsburg Empire for whom the community is named, and Mother Benedicta Berns, the first prioress of what would become Monastery Immaculate Conception, along with the fifth pastor, Father Eberhard Stadler, standing next to a chair symbolic of the craftsmanship of Clem Lange and Best Home Furnishings of Ferdinand.
The third tier will feature figures representing the occupations of Ferdinand’s earliest settlers, and the fourth will include a choir of angels.
While the Christmas Pyramid will be on display from November 1 to early January, the base will be permanent. In Germany it would be called a hut, but the actual structure will be more like a vendor style booth. This space will be available for rent year-round.
The German Christmas pyramid in Fredericksburg, Texas was the first large-scale German Christmas pyramid in the United States. It was initially displayed at their Marktplatz during the 2009 holiday season. Cullman, Alabama’s pyramid followed next in 2019 and is North America’s tallest Christmas Pyramid, proudly standing 40 feet tall. Dallas, Texas added a pyramid in 2020, and Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz also built large indoor pyramids for a shopping mall in Cripple Creek, Colorado and a church in Southlake, Texas.
These traditional decorations have roots in the Erzgebirge region of Germany and feature rotating scenes of Christmas and everyday life.
With the addition of the Christmas Pyramid, Ferdinand will serve as the gateway to Dubois County and its rich German heritage throughout the Christmas season, enhancing the holiday spirit displayed at Christkindlmarkt and beyond.
With over 200 booths in six market locations throughout town and no admission fee, Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt, held annually on the third full weekend in November, draws 10,000-12,000 visitors a year. The pyramid’s assembly will take place at the end of October in time for Ferdinand’s Christmas Open House and Huntingburg’s Christmas Stroll the first weekend in November. It will stand throughout the Christmas season, including during Jasper’s O’Tannebaum Days along with other community events, and Visit Dubois County’s Olde World Christmas promotions.
A 5–10-minute audio, professionally prepared by BBFocus 1, will be available by way of a QR code to share the story of how a missionary priest from Croatia came to found the town in 1840 hoping to establish a German Catholic community in the primeval forests of Southern Indiana.
With loads of Christmas spirit, holiday shopping opportunities in local shops that offer unique gifts and personalized shopping, warm and inviting dining experiences, breweries with custom craft brews, and historic sites to visit, discover Ferdinand and Dubois County in Southern Indiana for a special holiday experience.
For more on Dubois County tourism opportunities go to https://visitduboiscounty.com or call 812-482-9115 or 800-968-4578.
Pictured is the Christmas Pyramid.
