OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY
10 Year Ressurrection of Christ in Bavaria - Archived
The tradition
first began in the 1600s during the Thirty Years War, that struggle
for dominance
of European dynasties which ravaged much
of Germany. After the latest passing of the Black Death plague and the
suffering of war, the people of southern Bavaria in the town of
Oberammergau located in a valley of the Alps felt the
need to express the hope of the story of Jesus Christ, who
suffered,
died for man's sins
and was resurrected. The people of this little country village made a
vow to put on a another passion play at Pentecost (Whitsun) in ten
years if they survived the ravages of war. They did, and have fulfilled
the promise to put on the play every ten years. The first Oberammergau
Passion Play (Passionspiele) was performed in
1634
on
a stage in the
cemetery
among
the graves of plague victims. It has been restaged every ten years ever
since for nearly 400 years. 2010 will be the 41st
incarnation, now on its own a dedicated stage,
against the backdrop of the alpine hills. By the 18th Century spectators
were coming from all over Europe to experience the mystique of the
world’s most
renowned religious performance. The residents of Oberammergau participate
as a matter of local pride filling in the cast of hundreds creating a
grand spectacle. By tradition, men begin to grow beards at least a year
before. The Oberammergau Passion Play, officially “The Play of
the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ” as
performed for 2010 takes place in two sections, the first beginning in
the afternoon at 2:30pm for 2 1/2 hours with a break to eat between 5
and 8pm and the second half for another 2 ½ hours of pageantry
and passion.
Dates and
Tickets
In
2010 the Oberammergau Passion Play will be performed from May 15th
through October 3rd.. If one
wants to go to Oberammergau it is advisable to get tickets and make
plans
as early as possible. For accommodation,
there
are
hotels
in Oberammergau, Ettal and Unterammergau, and many
local
families
rent
out rooms.
To get advance tickets from the official
ticketing office, packages are available for performances on Friday,
Sunday, Tuesday
and Thursday.
The package
include
a wide
range of different accommodation types, from luxury hotel to B&B
and private room in a local house, in several towns suuround the
Ammergau Alps. Tickets to the passion play are provided on arrival
to the accommodation
and a meal is provided before the performance.
Update: The plays are apparently not sold out this year from a current report, so they may be available for walk up. The box office releases available seats at noon, but the selection may be limited. Also some locals may be selling their extras.
If local
rooms are sold out it
is possible to stay in Garmish-Partenkirchen, about 20 minutes
away or
Munich and make the one hour trip to Oberammergau. A whole
variety of tour operators offer tour packages to encompass the passion
play performances. Other places to visit near Oberammergau, Schloss
Linderhof, Ettal
Abbey and Murnau
Castle Art Museum. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Best vacation deals compare prices in Bavaria
at TripAdvisor
Web Info
Passionplay Tickets
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. Photos courtesy Oberammergau Passionspiele
See Also:
MUNICH ART PINAKOTEKS ALTE NEUE & MODERNE
VIENNA’S
INTERACTIVE MUSIC MUSEUM HAUS DER MUSIK
