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The life and death of Jesus Christ– the religious leader said to be born of a virgin, who performed miracles throughout his life, and whom the Romans crucified for his beliefs story has been performed since 1634 as the Oberammergau Passion Play.
Jesus of Nazareth became the inside icon of Christianity, in which he’s believed to have been the long-awaited Messiah (Christ) that the Old Testament had prophesied.
After his tragic, untimely death, his spiritually driven life inspired four gospels written by his apostles and specified many of Christianity’s inside doctrines and teachings.
Nearly 2000 years without his crucifixion, the story of Jesus Christ continues to be re-enacted virtually the Easter holiday every year, all wideness the Christian world.
But once every 10 years in a small Bavarian town, a truly unique event occurs: An unshortened German village of over 2,000 people takes to the stage.
It’s known as the Oberammergau Passion Play, and the massive production has wilt world renowned, drawing over half a million people who travel to see the biggest, most elaborate passion play in the world.
Old Town Oberammergau
THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
The Passion of Jesus Christ refers to the final period of his life, from the moment when he triumphantly entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds on Palm Sunday up until his crucifixion on Mount Calvary.
In this case, the term passion refers to an worth of the physical suffering and death of a Christian martyr (from the Latin passio, which ways “to endure” or “to suffer”).
Christ’s passion is considered among Christians to be the passion, and centers virtually the climatic event of his suffering on the cross, culminating in his ultimate sacrifice and salvation.
Passion plays are reenactments of important life events, and the Passion of Jesus has been brought to life in many forms of art throughout history.
You can see it portrayed in warmed-over frescoes, in stained glass windows, and inspiring books and films (including Mel Gibson’s controversial 2004 biblical drama, which graphically portrayed the violent brutality of Christ’s suffering).
The Passion of Christ as we know it today has been taken from finance recorded in the Bible’s books of Matthew (26:36–27:56), Mark (14:32–15:41), Luke (22:39–23:49), and John (18:1–19:37).
Collectively, it tells the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, suffering, and death. It does not typically include the details of his resurrection.
The story begins the night prior to his crucifixion and covers events such as his traumatization in the Garden of Gethsemane, his treachery by Judas Iscariot, zealotry and withholding by his disciples, and his trespassing by the Sanhedrin priests.
It moreover covers his trials: The Gospels record that seven variegated trials took place at the hands of the Roman and Jewish authorities who ruled Israel at the time, though the most famous was his ultimate trial surpassing Pontius Pilate.
THE CRUCIFIXION
The final part of the Oberammergau Passion Play is arguably the most difficult to watch, as it portrays the increasingly violent beatings Jesus received, and his final hours spent nailed on the cross.
Roman crucifixion at the time involved three nails, with one driven into each hand (or wrist), and one through both ankles as a way to secure the person’s feet. While Jesus hung from the cross, Roman soldiers pierced his sides.
This passion narrative is commemorated virtually the world during Holy Week– the week surpassing Easter, starting on Palm Sunday– which is the most solemn week of the year for Christians.
Countless churches, schools, and communities remember the passion, death, and resurrection.
On Good Friday, people inflowing into Catholic churches to participate in liturgy, listen to scripture, join street processions, and come together in prayer and hymn to honor Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.
Holy week traditions take place annually all virtually the globe, and many full-length performances of Christ’s passion.
But the Bavarian town of Oberammergau Germany has a truly unique tradition, and once every ten years hosts the largest known (and longest-running) passion play in the world.
Passion Play Oberammergau stage photo by Kienberger courtesy of Passion Play Oberammergau
THE PASSION PLAY IN OBERAMMERGAU GERMANY
Taking place just once every decade, the Oberammergau Passion Play is the largest ventriloquist stage production in the world. Only residents of Oberammergau, Germany are unliable to take part, or people who were born and raised there.
Around 2,000 locals (including 450 children) participate in bringing Christ’s story to life, which is scrutinizingly half the total population of the town!
The production takes place in an open-air setting over the undertow of eight hours (from 2:30 PM to 10:30 PM, with a 3-hour unravel for dinner), and is a massive event that attracts increasingly than 500,000 visitors to Oberammergau.
This play is performed increasingly than 100 times over the undertow of five months, from May to October, and recounts the last five days of Jesus’ life.
All members of the tint are fully single-minded to their notation and defended to achieving authenticity. The unshortened tint stops shaving and wearing their hair months in whop (even local police are excused from clean-shaven regulations).
The passion play has taken place in Oberammergau every decade for the last 400 years, and participants dedicate a full year of their lives to preparing for the production.
From the main speaking parts to the production team and extras, the tint members are all ordinary people. But you won’t be worldly-wise to tell they’re amateurs: The production is so realistic, it’s easy to forget you’re watching a play.
Its original script was based on four manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries, though it has been well-timed and modernized a bit over the decades.
The play you see today combines dramatic dialogue, choral music, and tableaux vivants– static scenes from the Old Testament recreated by motionless actors (the word is French for “living picture”) while stuff narrated.
Cemetary in Oberammergau Germany
OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY HISTORY
Oberammergau Passion Play history dates when to 1634, when the town’s first known production was mounted.
From 1618 to 1648 the Thirty Years War ravaged inside Europe. There was widespread poverty, sickness, and starvation, and hundreds of thousands of people died as the result of Bubonic Plague.
Desperate to ease their suffering, the people of Oberammergau made a solemn vow in 1633 that they would stage a play every 10 years to commemorate the passion of Christ if God would save them from the plague.
Legend has it that shortly without this vow was made, the local death rate sharply declined. Those who were once woeful quickly recovered, and there were no remoter cases of the plague reported.
Believing they’d been spared, the townspeople kept their promise: During Pentecost in 1634, they staged the first passion play on the graves of those who had fallen victim to the plague.
Their pledge to protract producing the play once every decade has been kept, with few exceptions (including a receipt in 1940 due to WWII, and a postponement of the 2020 schedule due to COVID).
But the venue and script has evolved over the years, and a state-of-the-art theatre capable of seating 4,700 people now houses the production.
The Passion continually evolves to reflect the times. Christian attitudes towards Jewish people during the Nazi era saw anti-semitic themes introduced, with the Jews blamed for the death of Christ. But the script has since been revised.
In 2000, the 41st production of the play saw the greatest revision of the script since 1860, with nearly 2,000 new costumes and 28 new production designs. This moreover marked a new era of inclusivity in terms of casting.
Up until that point, only Christian citizens of Oberammergau had been permitted to take part. But in 2000 this regulation was revoked to indulge Muslim residents to participate.
In 2010 the play was re-scripted once again, and new compositions were created to involve music as a increasingly fundamental part of the performance.
The show was moreover extended into the evening, and a new movable stage roof introduced (the stage itself is still unshut air, but seats are now under a roof imbricate in specimen of rain).
It is likely that the passion of Christ was make-believe out surpassing the 1600s, plane in Oberammergau Germany.
Pastor Joseph A Daisenberger writes in his village chronicles that the community’s pledge “didn’t intend to introduce a new, formerly unfamiliar custom, but to preserve an timeworn custom for all eternity by promising to perform it regularly.”
Preserving the history of the Oberammergau Passion Play is unmistakably a major point of pride for the community, and roles often run in the family.
Some local families are worldly-wise to trace their ancestors’ participation when for centuries, and it is not uncommon for up to four generations to take part in a production at any one time!
Rotkappchenhaus with Luftlmalerei Painting (Little Red Riding Hood house) in Oberammergau
THINGS TO DO IN OBERAMMERGAU, GERMANY
Oberammergau is a mannerly Bavarian town nestled in the scenic mountain landscapes of the Bavarian Alps. And while the passion play is the biggest feather in the area’s cap, there are plenty of other things to do in Oberammergau Germany.
For travelers interested in nature, the village sprawls withal the Ammer River Valley, which offers scenic hikes and challenging climbing opportunities.
There are virtually 150 variegated hiking trails throughout Oberammergau, but one of the most popular is the trail to the summit of Kofel, one of the town’s most prominent landmarks.
The round-trip hike only takes well-nigh 90 minutes, but this is a rocky peak that is quite steep and does require good hiking shoes. Alternatively, you can take a chairlift that carries you directly to the picturesque summit.
Truly venturesome type will enjoy taking the Alpine Coaster at the Kolbensattel. With scenic views of the valley and white-knuckle curves, this is one of the world’s largest toboggan runs.
The 1.6-mile steel track snakes virtually 73 bends at speeds of up to 25 mph, and includes a 1,300 foot drop. The track starts at 1,258 meters, and at its highest point you’ll be 4 meters whilom the ground.
Oberammergau moreover has a long history of traditional arts and crafts, and is prestigious for its traditional woodcarvings, intricate frescoes, and façade paintings.
Bavarian themes (such as fairytales) and biblical scenes are painted on many buildings, a tradition that began well-nigh two centuries surpassing street art started rhadamanthine a trend elsewhere.
Taking a walk lanugo local streets and through neighborhoods feels like stepping into a storybook. Referred to as Luftlmalerei in German, the buildings are covered in stories and notation painted in unexceptionable lively colors.
Local churches typically have the finest displays of woodcarving worked into their décor. Religious sites worth noting include the Ettal Monastery and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wieskirche pilgrimage church, which is located well-nigh 30 minutes outside of Oberammergau.
If you find yourself visiting the town when the passion play isn’t running, you can still take a tour of the theatre and explore museum exhibits that tell the story of each performance since 1634.
Costumes and props that have appeared in previous plays are on display, and you can moreover reservation historic films of previous productions. Tours are held in German every day at 2 PM and 4 PM, and there’s a daily tour in English at 11 AM. –by Meg Jerrard
BIO: Megan Jerrard is an Australian journalist and the founder of Mapping Megan, an topnotch travel blog bringing you the latest in venture travel from all over the globe.