BBC History UK 04.2020

Suffering, Death and Resurrection of our Lord,

Jesus Christ in 1634, on a stage erected above

the recently dug graves of the plague victims.

Just as the villagers had promised, this would

be the first of countless such productions.

As the centuries progressed, the scale of

the show grew decade on decade. By the

19th century, visitor numbers exceeded

100,000. In 1830, a new open-air theatre was

erected to hold the ever-increasing crowds.

The play also became a draw for some

of history’s leading figures, from

Franz Liszt and Gustave Eiffel to the future

King Edward VII and the US president

Dwight Eisenhower. In 1934, Adolf Hitler

attended a jubilee performance for the play’s

300th anniversary. His warmongering would

ensure that the following decade was one of

only two in which the play was not performed

• the other being the 1770s, when Elector
  Maximilian III placed a blanket ban on all
  Passion Plays as an improper way of express-
  ing religious devotion.

Modernising streak

You can discover the history of the Passion

Play at Oberammergau’s small but carefully

curated museum. Among cabinets brimming

with wooden dolls and toy soldiers is a

stained-glass window given to the town as

a token of appreciation from the adoring

audience member King Ludwig II. The

ENCOUNTERS

TRAVEL

collection also holds some of the oldest

surviving costumes, including a sequinned

headdress dating from the 1760s.

Under the weight of almost four centuries

of tradition, it’s easy to see how the Passion

Play could have become stuck in the past.

The fact that it has escaped this fate is largely

down to the efforts of one man. First appoint-

ed as the show’s director in 1990, when he

was just 27 years old, Christian Stückl is an

Oberammergau local from a long Passion

Play lineage. He remembers listening to his

grandfather, who sometimes learned his lines

as Herod while sitting on the toilet.

Despite this theatrical inheritance, Stückl

has spent the last 30 years tirelessly fighting

to keep the play looking forward. He over-

hauled the ossifying production, working

with Jewish groups to remove anti-Semitism

from the outdated script and casting a

married woman as Mary (a role previously

reserved for young and unmarried virgins).

Stückl’s battle to open casting up to all

women (including those who were married

or over 35) ended up at Munich’s Higher

Regional Court, and in 2000 he finally

managed to introduce the right for actors

of any religion to take on leading roles.

Pay a visit to Oberammergau during

Passion Play season and it quickly becomes

clear that this is still a town very much

shaped by history and tradition. But while

the Last Supper table that appears on stage

is the same one that has been used since 1870,

the people that sit around it are more diverse,

and the story they are telling more inclusive.

Tradition is important here, but that

tradition is kept alive through being continu-

ally reshaped and updated.

Audiences have included

writers, composers, royals

and politicians, from Liszt

and Eiffel to Edward VII,

Eisenhower and Hitler ANDREAS STÜCKL/ALAMY

If you’re heading to Oberammergau,

why not combine it with a trip to

the Bavarian capital?

Viktualienmarkt

Munich has been home to a thriving

market since the 12th century. The

market moved to its current site in the

19th century to spare city-dwellers

from piles of rotting leftovers. Today,

it’s a gastronomic hub. Stalls selling

gigantic pretzels and platters of

sausage topped with radishes sit next

to modern offerings of vitamin shots

and wasabi cheese. Seek out a

Bavarian breakfast of boiled white

sausages, pretzel and sweet mustard,

washed down with wheat beer.

Marienplatz

The city’s historic heart since the

12th century, this central square was

originally home to Munich’s grain

market. Today, tourists gather under

the Gothic Neues Rathaus, waiting for

the chimes of its famous belltower, its

clock showing scenes from Bavarian

history. If you’re lucky, you might

catch a parade of local brewers –

brass players in lederhosen marching

alongside horse-drawn carriages

decked with flower garlands.

Bayerisches National

Museum

This elegant museum holds exhibits

ranging from late antiquity to the

20th century. Large permanent

collections include candystriped

lutes, elaborate Meissen tureens and

delicate Bustelli figurines. Look out

for the famous ivory collection, where

warty-textured satyrs’ heads sit

alongside ghoulish flayed bodies and

impossibly intricate memento mori.

bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de

MUNICH HIGHLIGHTS

Rehearsals in progress

for the 2020 Passion Play.

More than 2,300 locals

are set to take part

For more information on planning a trip to

Oberammergau or Bavaria, go to bavaria.by

VISIT

A view of Marienplatz, Munich’s

historic central square

Suffering,DeathandResurrectionofourLord,

JesusChristin1634,ona stageerectedabove

therecentlyduggravesoftheplaguevictims.

Justasthevillagershadpromised,thiswould

bethefirstofcountlesssuchproductions.

Asthecenturiesprogressed,thescaleof

theshowgrewdecadeondecade.Bythe

19thcentury,visitornumbersexceeded

100,000.In1830,a newopen-airtheatrewas

erectedtoholdtheever-increasingcrowds.

Theplayalsobecamea drawforsome

ofhistory’sleadingfigures,from

FranzLisztandGustaveEiffeltothefuture

KingEdwardVIIandtheUSpresident

DwightEisenhower.In1934,AdolfHitler

attendeda jubileeperformancefortheplay’s

300thanniversary.Hiswarmongeringwould

ensurethatthefollowingdecadewasoneof

onlytwoinwhichtheplaywasnotperformed

• theotherbeingthe1770s,whenElector
  MaximilianIIIplaceda blanketbanonall
  PassionPlaysasanimproper way of express-
  ing religious devotion.

Modernisingstreak

YoucandiscoverthehistoryofthePassion

PlayatOberammergau’ssmallbutcarefully

curatedmuseum.Amongcabinetsbrimming

withwoodendollsandtoysoldiersis a

stained-glasswindowgiventothetownas

a tokenofappreciationfromtheadoring

audience member King Ludwig II. The

ENCOUNTERS

TRAVEL

collectionalsoholdssomeoftheoldest

survivingcostumes,includinga sequinned

headdressdatingfromthe1760s.

Undertheweightofalmostfourcenturies

oftradition,it’seasytoseehowthePassion

Playcouldhavebecomestuckinthepast.

Thefactthatit hasescapedthisfateis largely

downtotheeffortsofoneman.Firstappoint-

edastheshow’sdirectorin1990,whenhe

wasjust 27 yearsold,ChristianStücklis an

Oberammergaulocalfroma longPassion

Playlineage.Herememberslisteningtohis

grandfather,whosometimeslearnedhis lines

asHerodwhilesittingonthetoilet.

Despitethistheatricalinheritance,Stückl

hasspentthelast 30 yearstirelesslyfighting

tokeeptheplaylookingforward.Heover-

hauledtheossifyingproduction,working

withJewishgroupstoremoveanti-Semitism

fromtheoutdatedscriptandcastinga

marriedwomanasMary(arolepreviously

reservedforyoungandunmarriedvirgins).

Stückl’sbattletoopencastinguptoall

women(includingthosewhoweremarried

orover35)endedupatMunich’sHigher

RegionalCourt,andin 2000 hefinally

managedtointroducetherightforactors

ofanyreligiontotakeonleadingroles.

Paya visittoOberammergauduring

PassionPlayseasonandit quicklybecomes

clearthatthisis stilla townverymuch

shapedbyhistoryandtradition.Butwhile

theLastSuppertablethatappearsonstage

is thesameonethathasbeenusedsince1870,

thepeoplethatsitaroundit aremorediverse,

andthestorytheyaretellingmoreinclusive.

Traditionis importanthere,butthat

traditionis keptalivethroughbeing continu-

ally reshaped and updated.

Audienceshaveincluded

writers,composers,royals

andpoliticians,fromLiszt

andEiffeltoEdwardVII,

Eisenhower and Hitler ANDREAS STÜCKL/ALAMY

If you’reheadingtoOberammergau,

whynotcombineit with a trip to

the Bavarian capital?

Viktualienmarkt

Munichhasbeenhometo a thriving

marketsincethe12thcentury.The

marketmovedto itscurrentsitein the

19thcenturyto sparecity-dwellers

frompilesof rottingleftovers.Today,

it’sa gastronomichub.Stallsselling

giganticpretzelsandplattersof

sausagetoppedwithradishessitnext

to modernofferingsof vitaminshots

andwasabicheese.Seekouta

Bavarianbreakfastof boiledwhite

sausages,pretzelandsweetmustard,

washed down with wheat beer.

Marienplatz

Thecity’shistoricheartsincethe

12thcentury,thiscentralsquarewas

originallyhometo Munich’sgrain

market.Today,touristsgatherunder

theGothicNeuesRathaus,waitingfor

thechimesof itsfamousbelltower,its

clockshowingscenesfromBavarian

history.If you’relucky,youmight

catcha paradeof localbrewers–

brassplayersinlederhosenmarching

alongsidehorse-drawncarriages

decked with flower garlands.

Bayerisches National

Museum

Thiselegantmuseumholdsexhibits

rangingfromlateantiquityto the

20thcentury.Largepermanent

collectionsincludecandystriped

lutes,elaborateMeissentureensand

delicateBustellifigurines.Lookout

forthefamousivorycollection,where

warty-texturedsatyrs’headssit

alongsideghoulishflayedbodiesand

impossiblyintricatemementomori.

bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de

MUNICH HIGHLIGHTS

Rehearsalsin progress

forthe 2020 PassionPlay.

Morethan2,300locals

are set to take part

Formoreinformationonplanninga trip to

Oberammergau or Bavaria, goto bavaria.by

VISIT

Aviewof Marienplatz,Munich’s

historic central square