Last Sunday, Nov. 2, the nearby town of Ferdinand, Indiana hosted an opening ceremony for a brand-new 32-foot-tall wooden Weihnachtspyramide, or also known as a Christmas Pyramid, shipped to the United States from Germany.
The Ferdinand Tourism Commission paid for the production of the pyramid with donations and grants from Dubois County Tourism, and other members of the Dubois community. The pyramid was handcrafted by the 100-year-old woodworking company Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz in Germany, and then shipped to the States. This will be the fourth Christmas pyramid in the U.S., built by Gahlenz, the other three being in Texas and Colorado.
The pyramid has four layers showcasing wooden carvings of practices and people of importance to the town. The first layer features the Nativity scene; statues of Mary and Joseph overlook a baby Jesus alongside a shepherd and the three wise men.
The second tier features the European founder of Ferdinand, Father Joseph Kundek, nailing a sign with the name Ferdinand to a tree. Next to him is Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, after whom the town is named. Father Kundek chose this name to honor the emperor who financially supported him becoming a missionary in the U.S. Also on this tier is Sister Mary Benedicta Berns, the head of a convent of nuns at the Monastery of Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. She is remembered for her contributions to the formation of the monastery as well as playing a strong role during the development of the community.
The final person of tier two is Father Eberhard Stadler, the fifth pastor of Ferdinand. Father Stadler is remembered for building the Chapel of Our Sorrowful Mother, a chapel for families who have lost children. He is also responsible for building a school and the convent living quarters quadrangle inof Monastery Immaculate Conception. Father Stadler stands next to a chair symbolizing the late Clem Lange’s business, Best Home Furnishings. Clem Lange and his wife, Mary C. Lange, are celebrated for their donations, and contributions to Dubois County and the pyramid itself.
The third tier statues represent the first jobs of the settlers of Ferdinand, such as woodworking and farming, as well as the barkeeper August Barth, the storekeeper John G. Beckmann, and the doctor Matthias Kempf.
The fourth and top layer has four angels dressed in white robes, celebrating the birth of Christ with trumpets.
The opening ceremony featured the St. Ferdinand Church Choir, and concessions were sold underneath the Christmas Pyramid at the sales hut it sits upon. The presentation started with Lauren Blume, the director of the St. Ferdinand Church Choir, who is also a member of the Ferdinand Tourism Commission. Blume introduced the Jasper Deutscherverein (German Club) which presented the flags of the 16 federal states of Germany.
Following Blume was Lori Klema, director of the Ferdinand Tourism Commission. Klema thanked the donors for their contributions and then introduced Father Rigi George from the St. Ferdinand Catholic Church to bless the pyramid.
Diane Hoppenjans, another director of the Ferdinand Tourism Commission, told a short story of the founding of Ferdinand by Father Joseph Kundek. This was followed by an audio recording of the founding of Ferdinand’s story in full, which concluded the end of the ceremony.
Walking around after the event was Leslie Blume, playing the part of The Christkind also known as Christmas Angel, whose job is to herald the tidings of the Christmas season.
Christkind is the gift-bringing figure in German and other European cultures. Leslie Blume performed with the St. Ferdinand Church Choir and will sing again at the opening ceremony for the Christkindlmarkt.
The Christmas Pyramid will be on display until Jan. 2 of 2026, and can be seen in motion nightly until then. It will return annually for the Ferdinand Christkindlmarkt, taking place on Nov. 15-16 this year.
