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VERED EUROPE TRAVEL & TOURS
OBERAMMERGAU 2020
Free Guide http://2020-oberammergau.com/
A promise made hundreds of years ago is coming
to life in the charming and picturesque Bavarian
village of Oberammergau.
Come and celebrate the Passionsspiele with us –
The Play has hundreds of actors on the stage and
thousands of spectators in one of the most
extravagant productions of the Passion Play.
Join us in 2020 for a once in a lifetime experience
at this powerful performance of the Passion Play
which takes place once every 10 years.
The Passion Play
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Schedule of Programs
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Seating Map
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Sample ItinerariesTour some of the most beautiful sights in Europe. Travel around and visit the magnificent shrines and Churches in places like
Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria as well as spending a few days in Oberammergau exploring the area and experiencing
the Passion Play. See some of our sample packages.
http://2020-oberammergau.com
History of Oberammergau In the 17th century the thirty years’ war took place (1618-1648) in central Europe and was one of history’s most devastating. As a result of the
war, poverty and disease was widespread and thousands died as a result of the plague. In the small village of Oberammergau alone there were
80 deaths. During this time of suffering the citizens of Oberammergau made a sacred pledge that every 10 years they would perform a “Play of
the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ” if God would protect them from the plague. Legend has it that after the vow
was made, there was not even one further case of Bubonic Plague in the village and those town members that already were afflicted
recovered.
The promise was fulfilled for the first time during Pentecost in 1634 and every 10 years since, the villagers of Oberammergau have continued
to implement their pledge with the exception of 1940 when the play was cancelled due to World War 2.
This tradition has continued over 4 centuries with only residents of Oberammergau permitted to actually take part. The participants devote a
year of their lives to re-enact the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. All of the people taking part in the Passion play or as it is known in
German “Passionsspiele” are ordinary people who carry on pursuing their normal everyday lives such as doctors, teachers, housewives etc. All
the main speaking parts have always been filled by actors who were born in Oberammergau or have lived there for at least 20 years. This
custom has remained throughout the 380 years since this world famous Passion Play was first performed.
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The VillageThe picturesque village of Oberammergau, in its lovely mountain setting is situated in Bavaria Germany in the
district of Garmisch-Partenkiirchen near the Austrian border..
It is widely known for its Passionsspiele (Passion Play) that is performed every 10 years. This charming town is
also known for its woodcarvers who have been skilled at this craft continuously ever since medieval times and
there are many shops that offer these wonderful carvings in a variety of sizes.
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The StageThe Passion Play (Passionsspiele) takes place in an open theatre that
seats approximately 5.000 people.
Originally the play was performed in the parish church which soon
proved to be too small and it was then held in the Church graveyard.
Over the years there were a number of changes, until in the 18th
century the graveyard venue was also too small and the play was
moved to a nearby field with a new stage having to be built each year.
Eventually towards the end of the 19th century a permanent stage
was built with outstanding acoustics and seating for approximately
4000 spectators.
The present day stage looks very similar but has been enlarged from
time to time and renovated to include comfortable seating,
underfloor heating, and modern toilet facilities. It is wheelchair
accessible and has a seating capacity for an audience of more than
4700.
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The CastIn addition to the 21 main cast roles about half
the inhabitants of Oberammergau devotedly
re-enact the story of Jesus. None of the
participants see themselves as professional
actors and all have normal jobs but see the
honour of taking part in the Passion Play as a
reward in itself.
Preparations for 2020 have already begun.
Rehearsals take about 10 months and in
preparation for the 2020 play, in 2019 by Ash
Wednesday all participants, according to
tradition, will start growing their hair and the
men will grow beards and by autumn 2019
rehearsals for the Passion Play will begin. Only
those portraying Romans naturally do not have
to grow beards.
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The Music
The magnificent music for the Passion Play was composed by Rochus Dedler who was born in Oberammergau in 1779.
His musical education took place in Munich and Rottenbuch after which he returned home to Oberammergau where he
worked as a composer, a church musician and a teacher up until his death in 1822.
Two hours of this wonderful music is performed by an orchestra of 60 musicians and a choir which elaborates the
strongly emotional impact of the Passion Play. Over the past 200 years there have been a number of adaptations of
Dedler’s music but today is still based on the original score.
The present day Musical Director is Markus Zwink who was born in the village in 1956 and whose family go back to the
18th century in Oberammergau. He studied music in Salzburg and Munich and has been head of music in Oberammergau
since 1984. He has adapted and re-arranged the music and has composed some New Music that accompanies some of
the new tableaux vivants from the Old Testament that were used in the 2010 performance.
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Photos of Oberammergau Play and Stage courtesy of:
www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de
www.oberammergau-passion.com
Contact us for more information and booking
http://2020-oberammergau.com
