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Ed Heinlein - German Consultant

Have German Will Travel
Ed Heinlein: German Consultant

Passionsspiele in Oberammergau (Passion Plays)

(held every 10 years since 1633, last held in 2010)

  • Where does the "Passionsspiel" (Passion Play) take place?
    • Dorf (village) of Oberammergau in Bavaria
      1. History of Oberammergau
      2. Things to do in Oberammergau and surrounding area
    • Why should you go to Oberammergau?
      1. Holzschnitzerei (woodcarving)
      2. Freskogemäldehäuser (fresco painted houses)
      3. Lüftmalerei (paintings in the air)
        • These outdoor paintings can show Biblical scenes from the Passion Play story.
        • These paintings can also show fairy tales and various aspects of Bavarian life
      4. Passionsspiel (Passion Play)
  • What is a "Passionsspiel" (Passion Play)?
    • Definition: a passion play is a religious drama around the suffering and dying of Jesu Christi.
    • History of the “Passionsspiel” (Passion Play) in Oberammergau
      1. Background
      2. Vow
    • Where is the "Passionsspiel" (Passion Play) performed?
      1. Location: The Passion Play Theater in the village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian province of Germany.
      2. How is the Passion Play performed?
        • Information:
          • Only people in the village of Oberammergau can act in the play.
          • People stay overnight with actors in the play in their homes.
          • The play has a cast of some 2,500 people and can feature 900 people onstage at once.
          • Each performance is watched by around 4,500 spectators.
        • Performances:
          • One play is performed 103 days from May to October on an open-air stage, with an intermission of 3 hours for dinner.
          • Part 1 is from 2:30 pm to 5 pm, and part 2 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm.
          • The play runs for approximately 5 or 5 and a-half hours, with an intermission of 3 hours.
          • Every 2 or 3 days, 5000 people come to Oberammergau for the play.
  • When does the "Passionsspiel" (Passion Play) in Oberammergau take place?
    • When was the last performance? (2010)
    • When is the next performance?
      1. Today the play is performed by the people in the village every 10 years.
      2. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the play was cancelled.
      3. The play will be performed from May 14 to September 1, 2022.
    • Other past performances: 2000, 1990, 1984, 1980
    • When was the “Passionsspiel” (Passion Play) cancelled and not performed in years ending in the digit zero?