The German Way: Life in Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Germany > Country Info >
  CITY GUIDES > OBERAMMERGAU > PASSION PLAY > PHOTOS

Oberammergau
The outdoor stage at Oberammergau’s Passion Play Theater, in which only the audience has a roof over its head. > More photos of Oberammergau.
PHOTO: Passion Play Oberammergau 2000

Oberammergau is a small town of about 5,000 inhabitants situated in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Most of the time it is a normal Bavarian town, but once every ten years Oberammergau is transformed into a thespian metropolis with bearded men all over the place. From May to October the Passion Play takes over Oberammergau.

2010 was the 41st Passion Play year. It all began in 1633 during the Thirty Years War when the Black Death (der schwarze Tod) came to Oberammergau. After 80 people had been struck down by the plague, the citizens of the town promised to perform a passion play every ten years if God would spare Oberammergau from more deaths. (Passion plays were very common throughout the region at that time.)

The first Passion Play performance took place in 1634 in the church graveyard with 60-70 performers. While other communities soon forgot similar promises, Oberammergau has faithfully kept the tradition going. 2010 marks the 41st time that the town’s citizens have performed in the Passion Play. In fact, only citizens of Oberammergau, or persons who have lived there for at least 20 years are allowed to take part in the performances.

In 1680, after five Passion Play seasons, the schedule shifted to years that end in zero. Only in 1770 and in 1940 were there no performances. The 1920 play was moved to 1922 because of the First World War. Royal Bavarian interference delayed the 1880 performance until 1881. To commemorate the 300th and 350th anniversaries of the Passion Play, special performances were held in 1934 and 1984 respectively. More about 2010...

Read more about the Passion Play in Oberammergau
on the next page. Below, more about Oberammergau...

Frauenkirche - Dresden
Oberammergau lies in Bavaria’s Ammer River Valley (Ammertal).
PHOTO: David Edgar (Wikimedia Commons)

Oberammergau History

Although its history goes back to Roman times, the town of Oberammergau was first incorporated in 1818 after governmental reforms in Bavaria, which was then a separate kingdom. The region is known for its woodcarving crafts, which are well documented in the Oberammergau Museum. Oberammergau is also home to the NATO School, whose mission is to conduct courses in support of the current and developing NATO strategy and policy.

The well-known German author and humorist Ludwig Thoma (1867-1921) came from Oberammergau. His birth house is one of the town’s attractions.

Oberammergau and Ammergau-Alpen Highlights

Getting There
By car from Munich, Oberammergau can be reached via the A95 autobahn and the scenic German Alpine Road (die Deutsche Alpenstraße), also known as Bundesstraße 23 (Federal Highway 23). From Munich rail connections are possible via Murnau, connecting to the Ammergaubahn rail connection that ends in Oberammergau.

Scenic Sights and Attractions
Even in the nine out ten years when there is no Passion Play, Oberammergau and the Ammergau Alps region have many other sights and activities to offer visitors. Oberammergau happens to be located in one of Germany’s most scenic areas, not many miles away from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a former Winter Olympics site that is famous for its winter sports attractions. Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, and the Austrian border are only a short distance south of Oberammergau. Among the area’s many attractions are...

  • Ettal | Only about three miles south of Oberammergau lies the small town of Ettal and the beautiful Ettal Abbey (1330). It was a monk (Othmar Weis) from this Benedictine monastary who wrote the first prose Passion Play script for Oberammergau in 1810. For more about Ettal, see www.kloster-ettal.de
  • Wieskirche | The Pilgrimage Church of Wies is an architectural wonder only a short drive from Oberammergau. The rococo Wieskirche was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. > Wieskirche Photos
  • Alpine Lakes | Within a short distance of Oberammeragau there are a number of beautiful lakes, including the Staffelsee and the Kochelsee.
  • Linderhof Palace | All across Bavaria and in Oberammergau there are numerous references to the former Bavarian King Ludwig (I and II). One of Ludwig II's most spectacular palaces is Linderhof, a Versailles-inspired marvel that is the smallest of the three palaces built by the king and the only one he lived to see completed. Linderhof is just off the B23 highway (Ettaler Straße) not far from Ettal. There is also a bus connection (9622) to Linderhof from Oberammergau. For more, see www.linderhof.de (in English and German).

Oberammergau
About half of Oberammergau’s 5,000 residents participate in the Passion Play. This photo shows a rehearsal session with many of the town’s citizens.
More Oberammergau photos. PHOTO Oberammergau Passion Play 2000

  • Neuschwanstein Castle | A little farther away than Linderhof is Ludwig II’s best-known castle, Neuschwanstein. For more, see our Neuschwanstein page and www.neuschwanstein.de (in English and German).
  • Garmisch-Partenkirchen | In 1936 this Bavarian town was the site of the Winter Olympic Games. Today it is a popular ski and winter sports resort. The 2011 Alpine World Ski Championships are to be held there. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is only a short distance from Oberammergau, near the Austrian border. For more, see europeforvisitors.com.

  • Travel guides | There’s much more to see and do! See our Bookstore for travel guides for Bavaria, Oberammergau and the Passion Play.

NEXT > The Passion Play in Oberammergau

MORE > Oberammergau Photos

BACK > City Guides - Germany

Germany > Country Info > CITY GUIDES > OBERAMMERGAU > PHOTOS

Related Pages

Oberammergau on the Web

NEXT > The Passion Play in Oberammergau

Germany > Country Info > CITY GUIDES > OBERAMMERGAU> PHOTOS

Original Web content ©1997-2011 Hyde Flippo | Graphic design by Erik Flippo www.erikflippo.com
Hyde Flippo is solely responsible for the content of this site and, other than permission granted to publish copyrighted material, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing has no direct involvement, financial or otherwise, with this site. When in Germany, Do As the Germans ©2002 McGraw-Hill; The German Way ©1999 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books. All rights reserved | Site Map | Advertise with us!