 |
Oberammergau
Passion Play 2010
About an hour south of Munich, in the heart of Bavaria, lies the idyllic town of Oberammergau. But in 1633, things were far from peaceful. Southern Germany was in the grip of the Thirty Years War, poverty was rampant, and the Bubonic plague was sweeping across Europe. Fearing for their very lives, the villagers of Oberammergau made a faithful pledge: If the village was spared, the townsfolk promised to perform the Passion Play of Jesus Christ every 10 years and forever more.
Miraculously, the village was spared, and the promise continues nearly 400 years later.
Today, about half of Oberammergau’s 5,000 residents take part in the Passion Play as musicians, singers, stagehands, set designers, costume designers and, of course, cast. The play is renown for its crowd scenes, with as many as a thousand performers, as well as animals, on stage at one time.
 |
Only people born in Oberammergau, or who have lived there for at least 20 years, are allowed to take part in the performance. As no wigs are used, participants cannot shave or cut their hair prior to the performances, beginning on Ash Wednesday of the year preceding the production, according to the “Hair Decree.”
The Passion Play takes place outdoors, with the town’s sky and mountains as backdrops to its wonderful pageantry. This epic performance of the last days of Jesus runs about five hours, with a three-hour intermission for dinner.
The year 2010 marks the 41st time the story will be presented, the fulfillment of a promise made 377 years ago.