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For the article Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib

Probošt's mechanical Christmas crib, also known as Bethlehem of Třebechovice or Probošt's Nativity Scene of Třebechovice , is a wooden mechanical nativity scene that was made by Josef Probošt (1849–1926), Josef Kapucián (1841–1908) and Josef Friml (1861–1946).

The crib became a national cultural monument in 1999. It is unique in terms of art and ethnography, but also from technical point of view. It is also exceptional thanks to its great aestheticity which was not unlike most other movable cribs suppressed because of mobility.

It is held in the Museum of Christmas cribs in Třebechovice pod Orebem. The museum is closed from 2nd May 2011 to June 2013 because of building of a new museum building; cribs were moved to spare room.

Exhibitions
The crib was first exhibited at an exhibition of the Zemská jednota řemeslnická ("Provincial Artisan Union") in Chrast in 1906. There the crib was received positively, and was awarded a diploma and a gold medal; nobody, however, wanted to sponsor it.

Other exhibitions were in the year 1934 in Kostelec nad Orlicí, in 1935 in Prague, in 1936 in Brno and in 1937 in Bratislava, Piešťany and Hlohovec. Next exhibitioning was interrupted by the World War II. Later, the crib was exhibitioned at the World's fair in Montreal (1967), where more than 8 million visitors came to saw it, at Madurodam in The Hague (1968) and at the Ideal Home Show in London (1970); everywhere with huge success.

Since 1972 it has been exhibited only at the Museum of Christmas cribs itself.

Figures, mechanism
The crib consist from more than 2000 parts, with together 373 depicted persons. The landscape is divided into seven terraces filled with characters representing both biblical figures and vernacular inhabitants of Bohemia. They are carved from linden wood; reportedly only three of them from pear one. Figures are approximately 10-15 cm high and not polychromed, unlike figures of most of other nativity scenes. Thereby the authors wanted to emphasize the unity of material.

Inhabitans of Pitr's street who have been visiting Probošts to admire the nativity scene already during its contruction served as an adumbration for lots of real characters depicted in the crib. Among them we can also find Probošt as a carpenter and Kapucián as prudent old man. The crib includes six flowering spreading lindens too which is a usual part of Czech nativity scenes; accoring to Vaclík these are one of the most beautiful trees carved in Czech lands.

The crib was originally built as a right angle one but at the turn of the 19th and 20th century it was rebuilt in a plane. The whole nativity scene (including mechanical parts) is made of wood and is 6.9 m long, 2.2 m high and 1.9 m deap.