Next Date: 21st May - October 2022
After numerous Oberammergau citizens fell victim to the plague in 1633, those who survived vowed to perform the Passion Play regularly out of gratitude. They hoped that by way of this pledge, people would no longer die at the hands of the epidemic.More than 2400 Oberammergau citizens participated in the last performance in 2010. This is approximately half of the total number of inhabitants of Oberammergau. The roles are allocated almost a year in advance and the male actors leave their hair and beards to grow as of this point in time. Every role has two actors allocated to it and children also take part in the spectacle. While the play is being performed, they do not have to go to school and can forget their lessons for the time during which they are rehearsing. Many actors have to adapt their working commitments to the schedule during the rehearsals and interrupt them repeatedly for short periods of time in order to act. More than 1000 people and whole herds of animals tread the open-air stage. And the world is repeatedly a guest in this unique village which in the ten year gap between each performance of the Passion Play also hosts top-class operatic performances every summer in the Passion Theatre.
In addition to the Passion Play, Oberammergau is also well-known for its dievdirbys – the world-famous woodcarvers – who primarily reproduce Christian and religious themes. The works of art can be viewed by visitors in various exhibitions in the Pilatus House and in the Oberammergau Museum. Furthermore artistic wall paintings on the façades of the houses are part of the image of the village of Oberammergau. From the peaks of the local mountains you can enjoy spectacular views of the fairytale "Land of King Ludwig" with the fairytale castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof.
The next performance of the Oberammergau Passion Play will be in 2022. The preparations for it have been underway since 2014.
