03/18/2022
This article was originally written in 2016 for our church newsletter and led to use organizing this tour for 2020, now rescheduled for this fall...
† Scholarly Speaking
Oberammergau
The other day after a group of us from St. Paul’s gathered to watch “Risen” and then to discuss the film, someone mentioned the Oberammergau Passion play. We were able to establish that it had been running at (normally) ten year intervals since 1634, and is next scheduled for 2020. At that point we decided that I should gather more information so that we could consider the possibility of making a parish pilgrimage for the occasion.
The history begins in 1632 when a case of plague reached Oberammergau (in Bavaria, Germany), and by March of the following year there had been many deaths. At that point the villagers gathered before a large crucifix (see the accompanying illustration) and vowed to present a passion play every ten years if the village were spared. There were no more deaths and the few remaining victims all recovered, so the play was first performed on Pentecost (June 4) in 1634. Subsequent performances were held on the last year of each decade, i.e. years ending in zero, with an additional performance in 1934 celebrating the 300th anniversary of the original. In nearly four centuries this schedule has been broken only three times: In 1770 The Elector of Bavaria (at the request of the Vatican) banned all passion plays - there is a reference to the removal of ‘objectionable material’ when it was restored in 1780, probably referring to the anti-Semitic elements in many such performances. In 1920 the performance was delayed for two years due to the aftermath of the Great War (the village spends two to three years preparing for each performance). In 1940 it was again canceled due to World War II, and the schedule resumed again in 1950.*
The play itself was drawn from earlier versions, portions have been traced to 15th c. texts, and are probably even older. Over the intervening centuries, however, it has been extensively revised, with the removal or rewriting of many more anti-Semitic elements which survived after the 1770, even into very recent productions. Indeed the very nature of the story makes some degree of anti-Semitism inevitable, but descriptions make it clear that this element was often highly exaggerated.† A synopsis of the play (2010 version) shows it divided into a prologue and 16 acts covering the events from the triumphant entry and the driving out of the money changers through the events of Holy Week, the trials and crucifixion, and concluding with the Resurrection. The Prologue and most of the acts are accompanied by tableaux on a secondary stage above and behind the main one, usually depicting an Old Testament foreshadowing of the action of the act. Thus, during the Prologue Adam and Eve are seen as they are expelled from the Garden, at the Last Supper we also see Moses bringing manna and grapes to the Israelites, and at depiction of Judas’ remorse and death we see Cain hiding his forehead (and its mark of shame) after the murder of Abel. Not surprisingly the entire performance takes five hours (as long as eight hours in some earlier years) in addition to a three hour meal break in the middle. It is noteworthy that only residents of the village are permitted to take part, and that the cast and stage crew exceeds 2,000.‡
Factors in planning the pilgrimage and deciding to participate include cost, timing, and the situation in Oberammergau on arrival. While it is possible to make one’s own arrangements - particularly if one is not staying at Oberammergau - most visitors use a tour package. At a minimum these usually include tickets for the performance and accommodations and meals from the night before until the following morning and will vary in price according to the location of the seats, and the nature and convenience of the rooms. There were 102 performances (from mid-May to early October) in 2010 and may be even more this time around. Since the theater (opened in 1900 and since enlarged) seats nearly 5,000 people a total attendance of half a million people is likely. §
Fr. Bill Loring, Scholar in Residence
