Passion Play 2020 - Oberammergau

Nearly 400 years ago the history of the Passion Play began.

The plague raged in many parts of Europe and did not spare Oberammergau either.

In 1633 the Oberammergau villagers promised to perform the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ every tenth year, in so far as no one was to die of the plague anymore. The villagers were answered by God and therefore in 1634 the first Passion Play took place. The promise has been kept until today. From May 16th to October 4th 2020 the 42nd Passion Play will take place in Oberammergau.

The history of the Oberammergau Passion Play begins in 1633. In the midst of the Thirty Years’ War, after months of suffering and dying from the plague, the people of Oberammergau pledged to act out the play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ once every 10 years.

At Whitsun in 1634, they fulfilled their promise for the first time. By the middle of the 18th century, spectators from all over Germany came to Oberammergau attracted by the great power and atmosphere of the play. 2020 will see the 42nd instalment of the play that the citizens of Oberammergau have maintained through the centuries with unique continuity.

In a five-hour-performance, more than 2000 participants bring the story of Jesus of Nazareth to the impressive open-air stage of the Passion Play Theatre. Almost half of Oberammergau’s population will devotedly act out the story of the man whose tidings for more than 2000 years have brought hope and power of life to an incredible number of people.

They will play it from his entry into Jerusalem until his death at the cross and his resurrection.

All this against the backdrop of the words of the evangelist Luke at the end of his description of the tale of suffering: “And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.” (Lk 23,48)

The Plot

The Passion Play begins with the entry into Jerusalem and tells the passion story from the Last Supper to the crucifixion ending with the resurrection.

In 2010, the Passion Play was divided into eleven acts, also known as presentations. The presentations 1 to 5 form the first part, which began at 2:30 pm. After a three-hour-break, presentations 6 to 11 followed at 8 pm. The performance ended at about 11 pm. It comprises alternating forms of spoken introductions, drama and the special feature of the tableaux vivants (living images), a format kept from the 18th century. The living images are presented along with observational and interpretational choir songs accompanied by the orchestra and usually create a typological reference to the Old Testament at the beginning of each act. They are devotional images and thus allow the audience to pause and reflect.

With the new staging in 2010, the holistic story of the Gospel, particularly the tidings of Jesus and his conception of Man, received additional attention. For this purpose, the play directors Christian Stückl and Otto Huber completely reviewed and supplemented the text of the Passion Play together with the theological consultant of the Passion Play, Professor Ludwig Mödl.

Now, the focus lies on Jesus’ urging to make a radical change and to turn to each individual human without restrictions.

The message of love of neighbour was to be brought to the fore.

Therefore, concise quotes from the Gospel, particularly from the Sermon on the Mount, as well as short scenes, for instance Jesus and the adulteress, were introduced in the first and second act to characterise his message and to lead to the passion itself.

It was shown that Jesus was strongly connected to Jewish tradition by having him greet the scribes with “Shma Israel!” and lecturing them. Moreover, the new staging highlights the responsibility of Pilatus, his brutal personality and the conflicts within the High Council with its different factions, which no longer make it appear like a monolith block of Jesus’ opponents.

The Venue

The Passion Play Theatre has a long tradition, but it wasn’t always the venue of the Passion Play. The first performance of the “play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ” was performed in 1634 at the cemetery next to the parish church – on the fresh graves of the plague victims and on nothing more than a simple wooden construction. Only in 1830 was the stage relocated to the northern edge of the village based on plans by Nikolaus Unhoch. The then layout-plan, which offered space for 5000 spectators in the theatre, still characterises the structure of the Passion Play Theatre as we know it today.

In 1890 the stage was renewed and a section of the seats was put under a roof. 10 years later, at the 29th instalment , an iron construction that is open to the open-air stage was erected and extended in 1930. This construction was the basis of today’s auditorium. The stage as also re-built in a clear, monumental shape that has seen little alteration since then. In 2000 the auditorium of the Passion Play Theatre was renovated and given a new façade.

Selection of our 2020 Tours

Italy, Austria and Germany Passion Plays tour - OBG20

14 Days
Start in Munich
Finish in Milan
The passion play is held every 10 years - don't miss out in 2020

Our new 14-day itinerary tour commences at Munich and concludes in Milan. Two really amazing weeks with spectacular sightseeing, quaint villages, famous towns and cities and the chance to see the two spectacular Passion Play events of 2020.

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