I
f you happen to visit the small Bavarian
town of Oberammergau in 2020, you will
soon notice that the local men are
unusually hirsute. Wandering through the
streets, beards and long hair will be
everywhere you look. But this town-wide
grooming regime isn’t the result of any
fashion trend – it’s all in the name of tradi-
tion, God and theatre.
Once a decade, on Ash Wednesday,
Oberammergauers stop shaving as part of the
preparations for the town’s Passion Play, a
theatrical tradition that has been an integral
part of life here for almost 400 years.
Ever since the play telling the story of
Christ’s trial, death and resurrection was first
performed in 1634, the production has grown
beyond recognition. It now attracts audiences
from across the globe. For the Passion Play’s
latest incarnation this year, almost half a
million people will descend on the town over
the course of 104 performances stretching
from May until October.
And it’s not just the audiences that are
huge, the cast is equally formidable. Of the
town’s population of around 5,500 people,
more than 2,300 locals appear on stage, or
perform in the orchestra and choir. Every
role, from Jesus and the apostles right down
to each Roman footsoldier is filled by an
Oberammergau resident. Anyone who has
lived in the town for 20 years has the right
to partake, and many come from families
in which roles have been passed down from
generation to generation.
Perhaps as astounding as the scale of the
spectacle itself is the fact that this mammothTRAVEL TO... OBERAMMERGAU GERMANY
Bavaria’s spiritual
spectacular
ELLIE CAWTHORNE pays a visit to the village of Oberammergau where,
once every decade, the locals stage a massive theatrical production, the
result of a holy pledge made almost 400 years agoENCOUNTERS
TRAVEL
undertaking originated from a holy pledge
that Oberammergau’s people made in a
desperate moment almost 400 years ago.Divine intervention
Around 90km south of Munich, close
to the Austrian border, Oberammergau sits
at the edge of the Ettaler Forest, under the
distinctive white peak of the Kofel mountain.
Situated on a medieval trading route from
Venice to Augsburg, the town was renowned
for the exceptional skill of its wood carvers
and painters. Today, wooden alpine cabins
are painted with fairytale murals and trom-
pe-l’oeil optical illusions, while small souve-
nir shops overflow with Christmas decora-
tions (sold all year round), cuckoo clocks and
handmade wooden figurines. Surrounded by
rolling meadows and snow-capped mountain
peaks, with beer-brewing monasteries and
the fairytale castles of Ludwig II nearby, it’s
a picture-postcard image of Bavaria.
In the 17th century, this sleepy town
looked far less peaceful. The Thirty Years’ War
saw the region ravaged by marauding troops
living off the land, and Oberammergau was
forced to isolate itself as surrounding towns
succumbed to plague. In 1632, with war still
raging, disaster struck. According to local
legend, the careful precautions the townsfolk
had taken to avoid contamination failed
when a plague-stricken man slipped unno-
ticed into the village during a church festival.
A devastating wave of infections spread.
Desperate to escape death’s clutches, the
residents struck a deal with the almighty.
They pledged that if they were spared from
contamination, they would, every 10 years
for posterity, stage a magnificent production
honouring Christ’s sacrifice. According to
Pastor Joseph Daisenberger’s chronicle of
Oberammergau’s history, “From this day
forward, not a single person perished, even
though a great number of them still showed
signs of the plague.”
In response to this miraculous deliver-
ance, the town duly staged its first Play of theIt takes a villageÉ
Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate in
a crowd scene from Oberammergau’s
2010 Passion Play. The Bavarian town
stages the mammoth production once
every 10 years, with a cast made up
entirely of local residentsEvery role, from Jesus
and the apostles down
to each Roman footsoldier,
is filled by residents of
Oberammergau PASSIONSSPIELE OBERAMMERGAU 2010–BRIGITTE MARIA MAYER/ANDREAS STÜCKL/GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY
I
f youhappentovisitthesmallBavarian
townofOberammergauin2020,youwill
soonnoticethatthelocalmenare
unusuallyhirsute.Wanderingthroughthe
streets,beardsandlonghairwillbe
everywhereyoulook.Butthistown-wide
groomingregimeisn’ttheresultofany
fashiontrend– it’sallinthenameoftradi-
tion,Godandtheatre.
Oncea decade,onAshWednesday,
Oberammergauersstopshavingaspartofthe
preparationsforthetown’sPassionPlay,a
theatricaltraditionthathasbeenanintegral
partoflifehereforalmost 400 years.
Eversincetheplaytellingthestoryof
Christ’strial,deathandresurrectionwasfirst
performedin1634,theproductionhasgrown
beyondrecognition.It nowattractsaudiences
fromacrosstheglobe.ForthePassionPlay’s
latestincarnationthisyear,almosthalfa
millionpeoplewilldescendonthetownover
thecourseof 104 performancesstretching
fromMayuntilOctober.
Andit’snotjusttheaudiencesthatare
huge,thecastis equallyformidable.Ofthe
town’spopulationofaround5,500people,
morethan2,300localsappearonstage,or
performintheorchestraandchoir.Every
role,fromJesusandtheapostlesrightdown
toeachRomanfootsoldieris filledbyan
Oberammergauresident.Anyonewhohas
livedinthetownfor 20 yearshastheright
topartake,andmanycomefromfamilies
inwhichroleshavebeenpasseddownfrom
generationtogeneration.
Perhapsasastoundingasthescaleofthe
spectacleitselfis thefactthatthismammothTRAVEL TO... OBERAMMERGAU GERMANY
Bavaria’s spiritual
spectacular
ELLIECAWTHORNEpaysa visittothevillageofOberammergauwhere,
onceeverydecade,thelocalsstagea massivetheatricalproduction,the
resultofa holypledgemadealmost 400 yearsagoENCOUNTERS
TRAVEL
undertaking originated from a holy pledge
that Oberammergau’s people made in a
desperate moment almost 400 years ago.Divine intervention
Around 90km south of Munich, close
to the Austrian border, Oberammergau sits
at the edge of the Ettaler Forest, under the
distinctive white peak of the Kofel mountain.
Situated on a medieval trading route from
Venice to Augsburg, the town was renowned
for the exceptional skill of its wood carvers
and painters. Today, wooden alpine cabins
are painted with fairytale murals and trom-
pe-l’oeil optical illusions, while small souve-
nir shops overflow with Christmas decora-
tions (sold all year round), cuckoo clocks and
handmade wooden figurines. Surrounded by
rolling meadows and snow-capped mountain
peaks, with beer-brewing monasteries and
the fairytale castles of Ludwig II nearby, it’s
a picture-postcard image of Bavaria.
In the 17th century, this sleepy town
looked far less peaceful. The Thirty Years’ War
saw the region ravaged by marauding troops
living off the land, and Oberammergau was
forced to isolate itself as surrounding towns
succumbed to plague. In 1632, with war still
raging, disaster struck. According to local
legend, the careful precautions the townsfolk
had taken to avoid contamination failed
when a plague-stricken man slipped unno-
ticed into the village during a church festival.
A devastating wave of infections spread.
Desperate to escape death’s clutches, the
residents struck a deal with the almighty.
They pledged that if they were spared from
contamination, they would, every 10 years
for posterity, stage a magnificent production
honouring Christ’s sacrifice. According to
Pastor Joseph Daisenberger’s chronicle of
Oberammergau’s history, “From this day
forward, not a single person perished, even
though a great number of them still showed
signs of the plague.”
In response to this miraculous deliver-
ance, the town duly staged its first Play of theIt takes a villageÉ
Jesus appears before Pontius Pilate in
a crowd scene from Oberammergau’s
2010 Passion Play. The Bavarian town
stages the mammoth production once
every 10 years, with a cast made up
entirely of local residentsEvery role, from Jesus
and the apostles down
to each Roman footsoldier,
is filled by residents of
Oberammergau PASSIONSSPIELE OBERAMMERGAU 2010–BRIGITTE MARIA MAYER/ANDREAS STÜCKL/GETTY IMAGES/ALAMY