The 2010 Passion Play of Oberammergau, Germany

Every ten years, the residents of Oberammergau, Germany perform The Passion Play. Tickets are at a premium with people traveling from all over the world to attend one of the performances. On May 18, 2010, I was blessed to see the Passion Play with a group from Massachusetts.

The quaint village of Oberammergau is nestled among the Alps which are breathtaking in their beauty. Homes and shops are in close proximity to one another with beautiful paintings on the outside of many of the buildings. Many of the shops offer hand-carved statues of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and numerous other saints. They are diligently carved by the residents of Oberammergau and then painstakingly hand-painted.

In 1633, people in Oberammergau were dying of the plague. The villagers vowed if no one else died hey would perform the Passion of the Lord every ten years. Nobody died and in 1634 the residents of Oberammergau performed the first Passion Play in the graveyard in front of what is now Saints Peter and Paul Church. In 1680, they decided to change the performances to the year ending with the zero. The Play was not performed in 1920 because they felt it was too close to the end of World War One.

Every week close to 25,000 people see the Passion Play in the village of Oberammergau. The theater holds 4,700 people with everyone assigned a seat prior to the performance. 2,500 people of the village are either in the Play itself or volunteer to help. 2010 is the first time the Passion Play is being performed in the evening because the director felt more dramatic effects could be used, especially during the Crucifixion scene. The Play is performed five times a week with the first performance in May and the last one held on October 3, 2010. Each show runs from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. followed by three hours for dinner/intermission; it is then finished from 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. The actors/actresses are chosen fifteen months prior to the first performance. No wigs, false beards or microphones are used. The table in the scene for The Last Supper has been used for the past 150 years. The profits from the Play go back into the village for those things which help the community.

Upon arriving in Oberammergau, mini-buses took some in our group to the homes of residents while others stayed at the hotel in Oberammergau. Fortunately I stayed with three other people from my group in the home of an extremely thoughtful couple. This house was close to the church, shops and the theater where the Passion Play is performed. We had dinner (included) at a nearby restaurant which was only two blocks away. The woman who owns this restaurant played Mary Magdalene in 2000, the last time the Passion Play was performed. After supper, we walked around the village and met some other people from our group. We saw the theater and soon returned to our homes for a good night's sleep underneath soft down comforters.

After a delicious breakfast of meats, cheese, rolls, apple juice (from trees in the yard), coffee and orange juice we walked to Saints Peter and Paul church for mass. As I walked into church, I do not know just what I expected but it was not what I saw before me. The church was built in 1880 and for a small village of 5,000 people it is absolutely gorgeous. Paintings gracefully lined the ceiling. The altar, like so many other churches in Europe, was truly beautiful. Four statues stood in the back of the altar as five priests celebrated mass. The music from the organ echoed throughout the church.

The Passion Play was excellent with outstanding singing and wonderful acting. Only residents of Oberammergau may be in the Play. Every part of the Passion was performed with 800 people on the stage at one point. All the villagers take part in one way or another by acting, volunteering, woodcarving or opening their homes to pilgrims such as our group.

After the play, we returned to our homes/hotel. The owners of the home where I stayed left some pastry, hot water for tea, and hot apple tea to warm us up. The next day we leave the peaceful village of Oberammergau to continue on our trip. Soon we would be home, but will always remember the thoughtfulness of the people in Oberammergau.