The Oberammergau Passion Play - the result of a vow made during the plague year of 1633

The Oberammergau Passion Play, staged once every decade, is the world's most widely known passion play, dating from 1634. Over a performance of six hours, the people of the village of Oberammergau recreate the last five days of Jesus' life.

The Oberammergau Passion Play began with a vow made at the time of the Thirty Years' War. During the Swedish invasion of 1633, Bavaria was ravaged by a devastating plague epidemic, which took many lives. Following months of suffering and death, the people of Oberammergau pledged to perform "the story of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ" once every ten years.

At Whitsun in 1634, the villagers fulfilled their promise for the first time, performing the play on a stage that had been erected in the cemetery - directly above the freshly dug graves of those who had died of the plague. The performance of this play about life and death, solemnly promised at a time of mortal danger, remains firmly established in the life of the village to this day.

In 2000, the Passion Play was performed for the 40th time at the Passion Play Theatre in Oberammergau, where the old playhouse has provided a unique thread of continuity over the centuries. That year, the play's events were brought to life by more than 2,000 inhabitants of Oberammergau in a six-hour performance (from mid-May to the end of September) in their roles as actors, singers, musicians and stage crew. The play is still performed exclusively by lay actors who were either born in the village or who have been resident there for at least 20 years. The stage was originally a simple wooden structure, which over the years has been fitted with sets and stage machinery. Even when the play is not being performed, visitors can explore the Passion Play Theatre on a guided tour.


Contact:
E-Mail: tourist-info@oberammergau.de
Internet: http://www.oberammergau.de/