The History of the Oberammergau Passion Play

1633

At the beginning a solemn promise was made: During the Thirty Years' War the Black Death came to Oberammergau in the year 1632. In 1633 nearly every family bemoaned one or more victims as a consequence of the Black Death.
At the Cemetery (Beinhof) the Black Death invalids promised to act the history of Jesus Christ every ten years. The inhabitants of Oberammergau erected a Symbol for Jesus Christ. This is testified by an etching of the artist Hans Schwaighofer from Oberammergau.

On Pentecost 1634 the inhabitants of Oberammergau acted the Play on a stage which was built at the cemetery and constructed over the fresh graves of the Black Death victims.

5th Passion Play Year - after 1634, 1644, 1654 and 1664:

Enhancement of the passion lyrics by scenes which were taken from the "Weilheim Passion Play" (1600, 1615) of the priest J. Älb who also copied it from a medieval draft.
For the first time the Passion Plays were acted by musical parts.
In front of the Gothic Cross which is located at the altar of the today´s Oberammergauer Local parish church, the Passion Play was praised during the Black Death in 1633.

6th Passion Play Year

The Local Authority determines to act the Passion Plays in a ten years rhythm.

12th Passion Play Year

Lyrics version by the Oberammergauer priest and the Rottenbucher provost Clemens Praser (1703-1770).
Presumably two acts.

13th Passion Play Year

Critical announcement of the Rationalistic Age that the sanctified secrets should be disclosed and not be played on stage. As a consequence the inhabitants of Oberammergau answered with reorganization.
The Ettaler benedictine Ferdinand Rosner (1709-1778) was a religious, skilled and experienced man of theatre and rhetoric. He registered all 8457 verses of the spiritual baroque theatre. Rosner Lyrics are widely distributed in Bavaria.
Oberammergau becomes the overall concept for other Passion Play locations.

Direction and single innovations of the lyrics by Joseph A. Daisenberger (1799-1833, since 1845 local priest in Oberammergau).
His public educational activity evolves the historic and dramatic work.

An elected Passion Play commission will organize the Play.

For the first time statistic reports in English and French about the Passion Play.

32nd Passion Play Year

420.000 spectators at the new staging of G. J. Langs see for the first time a modern-directed theatre. Simplicity and artistic concentration of scenery
Subordination of all configurations to create an uniform expression.
George J. Lang and his brother, the architect Raimund Lang, are replacing the historical stage of 1980 by a clear ascetical and monumental new stage and even the spectators hall is amplified to 5200 seats.

39th Passion Play Year

There is an alternation of generations at the Local Authority in 1984. It is decided to act the Daisenberger Passion of 1990. Then suddenly the election of the youngest director ever. It is the 27-year- old sculptor Christian Stückl. The question, whether married and elder women are allowed to act was decided by court favorably, too. (Altogether almost 480,000 visitors watch the Passion Play).

2000
40th Passion Play Year

The struggling for fulfilling the solemn promise in a right way - traditionally or contemporary- continues. In this context Oberammergau becomes the Bavarian community with the highest number of public decision.

No 1 (1996): The decision whether the text by Rosner or by Daisenberger is the base for 2000 is decided in favor of Daisenberger again.

No 2(1997): As a result of the public decision Christian Stückl is appointed director instead of conservative Dr. Rudolf Zwink.

No 3(1997): The final result of the three suggestions for a new design of the outside of the Passion Play Theatre - a) traditionally made of wood; b) modern with a lot of plate glass; c) modern realistic- is number three.

Also in 1997 an agreement with the Catholic Church is made.
The Cardinal of the archdiocese Munich-Freising assumes patronage for the Passion Play if the warrantor chosen by himself consents with arrangement and lyrics.