History of PASSION PLAY

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A play of life and death, promised in a moment of mortal threat - so began the history of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1633.  In the middle of the Thirty Years War, after months of suffering and death from the plague, the Oberammergauers swore an oath that they would perform the "Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ" every ten years.  At Pentecost 1634, they fulfilled their pledge for the first time on a stage they put up in the cemetery above the fresh graves of the plague victims. In the year 2020, the Community of Oberammergau will perform the Passion Play, they have preserved throughout the centuries with singular continuity, for the 42nd time. Since 1634, the most famous Passion Play in the world has taken place in Oberammergau. The tradition, maintained and experienced almost without interruption for over 380 years, of putting on the play about the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ every ten years, will be continued for the 42nd time in 2020 and is regarded as the most important passion play in the world.  The village at the edge of the Bavarian Alps expects approximately 500,000 visitors for the passion play, over half of which will be international guests. All actors of the world's largest amateur dramatic performance come from the village, since a special play law is in effect.  All participants, from actors playing the big speaking parts such as Jesus, Mary or Judas, through members of the choir, orchestra members, firemen and ushers, must have been born in Oberammergau or lived there for at least 20 years.