The builder, Meinrad Spath, returned from the First World War with a serious war injury. His religious beliefs prompted him to depict moving scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. In his meagre spare time from 1920 onwards, he built works that mechanically moved the various figures using cams and levers. All of the works were then moved by a transmission and drive belts. Natural materials such as forest moss, tree sponges and stones were used for the landscape design of the nativity scene. The wooden figures were made by a sculptor from Schonach. Over 30kg of material (stones) were used to create the landscape from the Holy Land.
In the years 1978 - 1981, the nativity scene was rebuilt with a new base and new landscaping in the Heimtatstube in the Haus des Gastes by Mr Joseph Spath and at the same time given to the municipality of Schonach as a gift. During these three years, Mr Joseph Spath spent over 2,000 working hours on the restoration.
From the year 2000, his son-in-law Werne Eiche took over the care.
As part of the remodelling of the spa gardens from 2016, the Heimatstube was closed. Today's bistro was built there.
The nativity scene found a new home in the cloakroom area of the Haus des Gastes. Werner Eiche painstakingly rebuilt the nativity scene there until 2021.