The History of the Lombards constitutes one of the most important literary sources for the early history of Europe, and the vision and energy of its author make it . . . the most complex of the histories of the Germanic peoples between the sixth and the ninth centuries.-from the Introduction
This publication focuses on a lesser-known temporary artwork created by Paul Thek during his winter 1973/74 residency at the LehmbruckMuseum in Duisburg. His expansive environment, “Ark, Pyramid – Christmas” (“The Manger”), occupied an entire room and was an evolution of his earlier installation from documenta 5 in Kassel (1972). Organized by museum director Siegfried Salzmann, this exhibition marked the fourth in Thek’s series of large-scale projects across Europe, integrating individualized religious symbols. The holiday season also inspired Thek to present his first self-written theatre piece, a nativity play featuring local children. Recently discovered original materials and documents in the museum’s repository allow for a detailed reconstruction of the exhibition within this book. Additionally, it includes an interview conducted by Marietta Franke with Franz Deckwitz, who assisted in the installation in 1973.