close
close

Waldheimer creates a world made of small stones in the Döbelner Museum

Waldheimer creates a world made of small stones in the Döbelner Museum

chub. About five years ago, the “miniature builders” came together in the model construction group of the Waldheim local history association, before they founded their own interest group (IG) called “Steinchenbande” in October 2020, also under the umbrella of the local history association. IG chairman Marcel Ressel’s enthusiasm for stones was awakened in 2017 when he received a set as a gift from his brother.

Read more after Advertisement

Read more after Advertisement

Max Ressel builds a fairground out of thousands of stones.

Max Ressel builds a fairground out of thousands of stones.

With the fulfillment of this childhood dream, “everything got going.” Age doesn’t matter because Marcel Ressel is 38 and his brother is ten years younger. A forestry vehicle was the first thing to be built back then. The IG now has ten adults and three children as members and implements projects “just like the museums want them to be”.

A small town with a fair in the Waldheim museum house was the first major presentation. In addition, other objects were created that are quite expensive and are co-financed by the exhibitions. But there are also grants and donations. We are currently building together on Schlossstrasse. But each member also has their own projects that they implement.

Read more after Advertisement

Read more after Advertisement

The exhibition was planned to be repeated

Three years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, the city of Döbeln brought the band of stones to the museum for Christmas for the first time. It was an exhibition with obstacles that could only open in 2022 under difficult conditions due to the restrictions. “It would probably have been even better attended. “We had already planned back then that we would do it again,” said museum director Kathrin Fuchs.

This time there are many new exhibits. You can also see a roller coaster and a carousel. The showpiece is the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

This aircraft is one of the rather small exhibits in the Christmas exhibition.

This aircraft is one of the rather small exhibits in the Christmas exhibition.

This Sunday at 3 p.m. the exhibition will be opened by Mayor Sven Liebhauser (CDU). “The members of the stone gang will be present and demonstrate the exhibits,” said Kathrin Fuchs. In a craft corner, children can also get creative with Lego bricks themselves, ideally with parents and adults.

The children also have the opportunity. Make paper boots that St. Nicholas fills. The boots can be picked up at the museum from December 6th. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the run-up to Christmas.

Read more after Advertisement

Read more after Advertisement

Giant Boots is scheduled to be built in February

The Döbeln exhibition is to be expanded in February with an additional attraction: a giant boot that visitors can help build. “But that’s still being planned,” says Marcel Ressel.

By the way, the Waldheimers had already been asked to appear on RTL’s Lego Masters, but rejected this offer. “No one gets time off for six weeks in a row,” explained Marcel Ressel. For him and his colleagues aged between eight and 63, it is absolutely important to be able to host exhibitions like the one in Döbeln. And if there is great interest, the stone gang will also be satisfied.

SZ