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Nikolomuseum Tauplitz

Tauplitz, Styria

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After prior registration, it is possible to visit the figures and masks of the Nikolospielgruppe all year round. Around 90 wooden masks, all hand-carved by local carvers, can be viewed. Furthermore, several life-sized play figures can be admired up close. Roman Gruber is happy to guide visitors through the premises.Excerpt from the Tauplitz Nikolospiel:Every year on December 5th, the silence of the winter night in Tauplitz is interrupted by the ringing of bells and the cracking of "Goassln" (whips); dark figures move through the darkness; it is Miglotog (St. Nicholas' Day) as it is called in the small mountain village.Every year, St. Bishop Nicholas, with his bright and dark entourage, moves from the Klachau district to the center of the village (Dorfplatz), where the traditional Nikolospiel is performed twice.Around 60 masked figures participate in this spectacle.The Krampus masks, lovingly crafted by local carvers, feature human facial features.It is referred to as a parlor or processional play.The Tauplitz play texts are among the oldest in the country.Men wrapped in straw, "die Schab," walk ahead, announcing the Nikolaus procession with their loud cracking.St. Nicholas, riding a horse (Nikoloross) to the waiting children in Tauplitz, offers an impressive sight.The Everyman scene in the Tauplitz Nikolospiel is also a popular performance, as a rather ragged man, marked by alcohol, asks the priest to hear his confession.