On St. Catherine’s Day, which also marks the birthday of Franz Xaver Gruber, the special exhibition “Christmas with Katharina and Franz Xaver” opens at the Hallein Celtic Museum.

The Gruber couple is presented through portraits painted by Sebastian Stief in 1846. Autograph IV of “Silent Night! Holy Night!” and the original guitar of Joseph Mohr recall the creation of the famous Christmas carol. The so-called Authentic Account (Authentische Veranlassung) documents the history of the song’s origin and was written by Gruber in Hallein in 1854. Nativity scenes from the collections of the Hallein Celtic Museum and from the private collection of Roman Anlanger provide a festive and atmospheric Christmas setting for the exhibition.