Egli-Figuren

Biblical narrative figures (also known as Egli- figures) are arts and crafts tools for representation and telling Bible stories. Available in different sizes (30, 50 and 70 cm) and they are in Bible study, teaching, pastoral care or exhibitions, to make the stories of the Bible clear and understandable. You have no face, so as not to be defined by their expression here. Feelings and intentions are expressed through body language.

• 4.1 Working groups and groups that work with the Biblical narrative figures

History

The origin of the Biblical characters in Switzerland

The first Biblical figures developed sister Anita Derungs OP, a nun in Ilanz ( Switzerland ) Monastery in the summer holidays 1964. Sr. Anita was then governess in Ilanz. The inspiration for the moving figures came from the then President of the Mothers' Club in Graubünden, woman Fryberg - Candinas. She dreamed of a Christmas crib for the family with moving figures. Thus, the Biblical figures were in the tradition of nativity scenes.

About moving nativity figures, many thoughts have already made. It can be detected, various precursors figures. However, their agility failed to mangelhaftem plant material, such as the fragile wire. Sr. Anita Derungs worked with plant material, as it was raise in every household: electrician wire, also Sisaldraht, fabric and wood residues. The heads they modeled with rigid foam and covered them with Duvetine or Warp. These materials are still used today.

From an effort to moving nativity figures in Ilanz monastery learned Josy Brunner. She was head of the 'House of Mothers " (now Education Center Matte) on the Black Mountain, a training institution of the Catholic women and mothers Community ( LTC) in Switzerland. Josy Brunner got in touch with Sr. Anita and was very interested in the figures.

These contacts led to the first nativity figures Course in the autumn of 1964 in the "house mothers " on the Black Mountain. The line had Josy Brunner and Sr. Anita. The first students were enthusiastic and sat down in the following years with great dedication to the advancement of figures a. Among these four to five " Erstgenerationsfrauen " were Beatrice Carpenter, who later became the 50 characters developed, and Maria Widmer.

Maria Widmer was living in Baar. Her husband was a teacher there. She was involved in the child welfare clinic in Baar and met the young Doris Egli know who came from East Germany and married to Baar. 1966 - two years after Sr. Anita had created the characters in the monastery Ilanz - showed Maria Widmer Doris Egli how to make the figures. This Doris Egli came into contact with the women figure and worked with zeal in the advancement of figures. Your training as a designer at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart proved to be very helpful here.

Material improvements and separation

The joint work of Doris Egli and the other figure women on the Schwarzenberg was of short duration. The conflict was sparked at a plant material. Back in the first figure was yet tried different courses. Two technical improvements were significant:

The development to lead shoes

First curtain has been incorporated into the lead Schubimehlschuhe. Later printers' lead was used. For the lead blocks Shoes printers' webs were attached with adhesive plaster or tape to the Sisaldraht and Schubimehl ausgeformt.Erste simple lead shoes made ​​entirely of lead poured Pastor Werner Thommen. Over a course instructor, there were contacts with the blacksmith Berchtold free. He was able to work professionally and presented since 1975 the lead shoes. From his son Christoph Frei took over the production of lead shoes. It delivers up to now the lead shoes in all figures sizes.

The development of the bracket

Initially passed the legs and arms from Sisaldraht electrician wire. Over time, the Sisaldraht sat for the arms through. But that could not be around each other, the two wires that would otherwise be the frame at the "neck" has become too thick. First, the two Sisaldrähte were sewn together. But the stop was moderate. The crucial change came from Doris Egli. She developed her husband Primo together a metal clip to hold the two Sisaldrähte stable.

This stapled frame Doris Egli was commissioned in 1976 under the name " Original Doris -Egli - material " on the market. She wanted to sign copyright claims on the Biblical figures. This they could not prevail legally, because too many women were involved in the character development. It was her only possible to obtain trademark rights in her name, hence the term " original Doris -Egli - material " - to name and interest of Doris Egli, the figures do not Biblical figures, but rather Egli- figures.

Egli's efforts to copyright claims on the court frames has performed in Switzerland to a great conflict among the women figure because up to now all free of charge contributed their ideas to the development of the characters. Several attempts at mediation on the Schwarzenberg failed. Ultimately led the copyright claims for breach of Doris Egli with the Black Mountain and the other figure women. Since then, Doris Egli worked with her " original Egli- material ", taking the Schwarzenberg Schwarzenberg with their figures. That was in 1976

The situation in 2007

Today, the figure of frames in the Foundation Brändi in Horw / Switzerland are produced. Figure as many frames are needed every year now that this for eight disabled people a job could be created. The last significant development in the figures was the moving hand with the wire loop, which is also used in the Working Group Biblical Figures ( ABF). It is attributed to Beatrice Zimmermann, who imported in 1979. Doris Egli has not taken then the moving hand in her figure frames, but today offers its own development with movable thumb. Over the years, three sizes have evolved to Biblical figures. There are now 30, 50 and 70 characters, to the 30 figures also matching animals.

Biblical narrative figures in Germany

1978 traveled the parish family Knoch from Mägerkingen on the Swabian Alb to Taizé and learned family Marty from Lucerne in Switzerland know. A friendship between the families. Because Ida Marty already gave courses for biblical characters at that time, the family learned there Knoch know the figures. 1980 Pastor Werner Knoch was appointed head of pin Urach, the retreat house of Württemberg church. There, the first figure class was already in the following year in October 1981 under the direction of Marty and Ida Werner bone instead.

From the beginning, Pastor Knoch and Ida Marty not only work courses for the preparation of the figures had to offer. The figures should not only be moving nativity figures, but to illustrate various biblical texts from the OT and the NT are used. Because the figures were very important for bone and Marty as aids understanding of the Bible, creation week ends were offered with already established figures soon after the first work courses. The participants did not have to care more about the production of the figure, but were able to focus completely on the Bible texts and their implementation into today. Between 1981 and 1994, Ida Marty has performed a total of 32 work -, ​​head - and design courses in pen Urach. The partnership between the Biblical figures and the pin Urach So there 19 years and thus ( was previously the Evangelical Theological Seminary ) Urach almost since the founding of the retreat house pen.

One and a half years after the first figure price with Ida Marty - in February 1983 - the first head of course with Doris Egli took place. She was invited because she was instrumental in the development of the characters. It was hoped that by her valuable new impetus. While the experience with Doris Egli were impressive as an artist, they remained unsatisfactory with her as course director. Therefore Ida Marty and Werner Knoch decided to take the heads of education into their own hands. Thus, a course leaders meeting under the guidance of a year. Knoch and Marty, as well as a contact day with Doris Egli provided.

Over the years, took more and more German course leaders in pen Urach the training tasks. As of 1991, especially Marie -Luise Pöpel and Sigrid Meyer took over the courses of Ida Marty. As a parish family Knoch in 1994 changed in retirement, Ida Marty retired from the character classes in the pen. From the joint work of Werner Knoch and Ida Marty the book arose " As if you 'd be doing yourself ," Bible Stories for witnessing by Werner Knoch, illustrated by Ida Marty.

After Rev. Dr. Udo Hofmann had taken the lead in pin Urach, the courses remained with Biblical figures there an integral part of the program. They have even expanded. Since the figures encountered not only in pen Urach on continuing interest, the number of course leaders rose constantly and countless work courses to figure production were offered. In Württemberg the Biblical figures were mainly known as " Egli- figures " because the women worked with Egli- material that Doris Egli brought in contact days in the pen from Switzerland.

Over time, the need for the many courses material could no longer be provided to the extent required by Doris Egli. Despite the establishment of material deposits, there were more and more difficulties in delivery and consequently hoarding. Meanwhile, some German course leaders had rediscovered and found that the material was the only known Egli material at least equal to the Schwarzenberg and metalsmith Christoph Frei in search of new sources of material. With Schwarzenberg material that was available, but in the circles of the Egli- oriented course instructors could not be worked.

After mediation attempts failed, Silvia Dalferth, Gabriele Lohner and Marie -Luise Pöpel determined to follow the path to the establishment of an association. The ever- expanding work with the figures needed a proper framework. So it was in April 1997 at the Abbey of the founding of the nonprofit association Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biblical Figures - ABF eV The association joined the newly established clear majority of the then course instructors. Doris Egli had subsequently withdrawn from the pen.

The ABF took the courses offered, especially the conductor skilled courses with a detailed material folder and added the offers to work courses with 50s and 70s figures.

The areas in which characters are used, still dilate. They are used in worship, Sunday school, kindergarten, religious instruction, confirmation classes, adult education, exhibitions, often in the design of the sermons in some local church, puppet theater, exhibitions, supermarkets, etc.

The popularity of the characters is also expanding abroad. Figure courses are provable in Finland, Luxembourg, France, Austria and probably other countries. In Iceland a ABF instructor operates. Two women from Chile were trained to. Now there in the Lutheran Church in Chile start with character classes.

Biblical Figures in Austria and the Czech Republic

About Germany, the Biblical figures found their way in the 1990s to Austria. Regina Fucik and Anne Marie Holzer ( SSM) had met the figures in Germany and organized from 1993 courses in their first small Franciscan community center in Vienna. On their recommendation, the House of Silence invited in Styria 1995 Alexa corner stone as a consultant for a course.

As the figures in Austria were still unknown, the course participants from lack threatened to fail. To save the conclusion of the course, some young women took part in the Community from House of Silence, including Elisabeth Waltersdorfer. As a trained hand weaver, she was very excited about this combination of artistic and spiritual actions. As a result, she took further courses in the House of Silence, in the Franciscan community center in Vienna and in Germany in part.

Meanwhile, convinced of the thing, she decided in 1997, together with Bernadette Wagner from Carinthia, who had also attended some courses to make the instructor training in Switzerland. Even Anne Marie Holzer from Vienna trained as a course instructor. While she went to Doris Egli to Germany, Elisabeth Waltersdorfer and Bernadette Wagner went to Switzerland to Schwarzenberg. The Upper Austrian theologian Martha Leonhartsberger was the third party who, after attending some classes at Lisi Waltersdorfer, in 2000 went to Black Mountain to be trained to the course instructor.

Since 2003 there is an annual course directors meeting. In 2006, constituted without a club founded the Association " Biblical Figures Austria ". In addition to the course leaders of the working group " Biblical Figures Austria " is based on Anne Marie Holzer, some Egli- course teachers in Austria.

Czechia

At a meeting of the Central European Bible works in summer 1998 in Brixen (South Tyrol ) were Elisabeth Waltersdorfer first Austrian instructor and Anneliese Hecht (since 1982 Consultant for biblical pastoral ministry in the Bible plant in Stuttgart and author of a book about working with Biblical figures) invited to present the Biblical figures. The figures came here V.A. among the participants from Eastern Europe on interest. As a result, the Austrian Bibelwerk organized a course with Lisi Waltersdorfer for participants from Eastern Europe in the Styrian House of Silence. They were joined by Petr Chalupa from Czech Bibelwerk and Marie Klásková.

Marie Klásková then settled in Schwarzenberg trained as a trainer and holds today has been the only instructor in the Czech Republic and assistant in the Czech Bibelwerk figure up to 20 courses per year across the country. For the character work in the Czech Republic it also has the book by Anneliese Hecht, " Creative work with Biblical figures " translated into Czech. To be involved in the exchange of experiences with other course instructors, she is a member of the Austrian Association since 2008. The course directors meeting of the Austrian Working Group took place in May 2011 the first time in Dolany in Olomouc in the Czech Republic.

Criticism of the work with the figures

Criticism of the work with the biblical narrative figures is expressed mainly in terms of the fact that manufacturing exclusively in courses is practically possible and material procurement by some course leaders and course leaders would a closely guarded secret. The idea of ​​protecting the figures as before Verkommerzialisierung going so ad absurdum, as the course provider in this way procured a market advantage and stood as a quasi- monopolist itself in the center of Verkommerzialisierung.

In response to this criticism, there are now a number of vendors ready framed narrative figures (eg, the Children's Mission ). The ABF eV offers their courses to further material for the work at home. Moreover, it can refer anyone in the material of the association. In Switzerland it is offered in many craft stores for sale.