Honoring a Vow: Oberammergau 2000
by Julie Carolyn Falkner

The scene is one of colorful chaotic activity: children are excitedly chasing goats, while their parents clutch palm fronds with an air of concealed anticipation. And now into this confusion enters a man, a man with a strange humility, riding a donkey. I can almost feel the crowd pressing against me and an unbidden acclamation forms: "Hosanna!"

Suddenly I become aware of the concentrated silence of those around me, and stifle my euphoric shout. Part of me is still walking the road into Jerusalem, two millennia ago. But it is also the year 2000 and I am seated in the huge auditorium of a tiny Bavarian village, witnessing the honoring of a vow.

The story of this vow begins with the Black Death, that dreaded and devastating disease, which rampaged through Europe in the 1630s. At first tiny Oberammergau, hidden away in an alpine valley, was free of the pestilence. But as it approached ever closer to their borders, the ruling Council of Six and Twelve issued ever more stringent decrees to safeguard the village. Visitors were banned; journeys to neighboring communities restricted; cleanliness enforced; and the number of church services increased. Finally, in desperation, the Council introduced a drastic measure: No-one at all would be allowed to enter or leave the village. That evening, even residents who had spent the day laboring beyond the borders were turned away.

For some months, this new rule ensured the health of the villagers. But one ill-fated night, an exiled laborer by the name of Kaspar Schisler could bear his isolation no longer. Following an unused path to avoid the border guards, he crept back to his wife and family. Imagine their joy at the reunion; and their disbelieving horror when by morning he was ill. The plague had come to Oberammergau at last.

The villagers fought the epidemic with all their energy, and yet their family and friends continued to die. Finally, the survivors turned to God. They met at the tiny parish church and the entire community participated in a solemn vow: If only God would remove the cup of death from their lips, in return they pledged to present the Passion of Christ, every decade, forever. After that day there were no further plague deaths in the village. And in the following year, 1634, Oberammergau presented its first Passion Play.

Despite war, famine, and insistent political interference, every ten years the villagers faithfully honored their vow, except during World War II. The text and music have changed over the years, but the underlying sense of purpose has not.

During Passion Play season, quiet Oberammergau becomes a vibrant, bustling, cosmopolitan town. Yet it is still a place where morning brings the serene tinkle of cowbells in a nearby meadow, with a misty view of the Kofel peak to dominate the backdrop. When we first arrived, we planned a brisk walk from the huge public parking lot into the town centre. But we soon found ourselves lingering, charmed by the "lüftlmalereien", or frescoes, decorating many of the houses. A lover of fairytales, I particularly enjoyed the Hansel and Gretel house, which was complete with a fiery oven scene, and the nearby house portraying Little Red Riding Hood with a ferocious wolf.

We also found beautiful frescoes, these ones depicting the life and death of Peter and Paul, in the catholic church. Awed by the rococo magnificence of the sanctuary, we almost missed the small room at the rear. Hidden away inside was an unexpected sneak preview of the Passion Play: a "passionskrippe" offered a colorful multi-layered display of events from the triumphal entry to the resurrection.

The village’s protestant church is a complete contrast. Here, a large crucifix bordered by vases of fresh flowers was almost the only decoration. Yet, as rich organ music filled the building during one of the regular recitals, we experienced beauty in another form.

The nearby Heimatmuseum introduced us to another local tradition, that of wood-carving. Here we found carved representations of "kraxenträger", the travelling salesmen who would load their wares -- crucifixes, toy wagons, weather houses and more on their backs and trudge off to sell them wherever they could. Here too we found a fine collection of hand-carved and hand-painted nativity scenes: this focus on Jesus’ birth was a marvelous contrast with the focus elsewhere on his death.

The wood-carving tradition continues today, and shops filled with beautiful carvings abound. As we chose a simple, elegant representation of Joseph and Mary with their divine child, we chatted with the saleswoman. Like so many of her fellow Oberammergau residents, she is preoccupied at present with the Play. "I am a weeping woman," she told us proudly, "and my husband and children are in the orchestra."

Such dedication despite other commitments is essential, for one of the rules is that only residents of Oberammergau may participate in the Play. A surprising number of them do: more than 2000, ranging in age from 6 to 90, and even all the costumes are made locally. The result of this united community effort is an engrossing six-hour presentation.

"Prostrate yourselves in holy wonder" are the first words from the soloist, and the remarkable yet familiar story then begins to unfold. Each of the eleven acts is introduced with a tableau which presents, in absolute stillness, an Old Testament scene prefiguring the forthcoming New Testament events. The Act 3 tableau, for example, depicts Moses returning from Mt Sinai. His authority is evident as he holds the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments. But he has a thunderstruck expression; he appears profoundly shocked by the sight of his people raising their hands in supplication to a golden calf. This dramatic scene leads in to the story of Jesus berating the Pharisees ("Woe to you...")

Throughout, the realism is astonishing. I felt relief when doves intended for sacrifice were freed during Jesus’ overturning of the temple tables. Horror engulfed me when the incensed crowd before Pilate screamed, "crucify him!" and I longed to add my voice to those pleading, "set him free!" And when Jesus hung on the cross, blood apparently streaming down his chest, I was overwhelmed by his agony, and challenged by the question sung by the Chorus: "Where can you find the kind of love that can compare to this?"

In Oberammergau the story of this love has been faithfully repeated for nearly four hundred years. The world has changed immeasurably since the plague survivors gathered to pledge their vow and still their descendants continue the tradition, retelling the unchanging ever-changing story. As I walked through the village in the early evening, passing a young cellist carefully lugging his instrument home, I reflected on my pilgrimage and wondered about the future. Four hundred years from now, will the sacred vow still be honored in this once-plagued alpine village? And will pilgrims still come from north and south, east and west to immerse themselves in an experience of holy wonder?

If You Go
Oberammergau is about 60 miles southwest of Munich, and the Passion Play will be performed until October 8. Some tickets are still available at the time of writing, and they can be obtained from the website www.oberammergau.de. Prices range from 359DM to 820DM per person, and include accommodation for one or two nights, in Oberammergau or a nearby village, as well as all meals and entry to the Heimatmuseum. Tickets for the Play only may be available from the box office on the day of performance: 150DM for a first-class seat, and 100DM for a second-class seat. Performances are given every day except Tuesday and Thursday, starting at 930am and ending at about 6pm, with a three-hour break for lunch. The performance is entirely in German, but an English-language textbook is provided.

For Further Reading
Check your local library for "The Oberammergau Passion Play", by Vernon Heaton.

© copyright Julie Carolyn Falkner, 2000

Photo credits:
Photo credit: Julie Falkner
An Oberammergau wood-carving shop

Photo credit: Brigitte Maria Mayer, (c) Gemeinde Oberammergau
Moses and the golden calf

Photo credit: Julie Falkner
Fairytale frescoes decorate the Hansel and Gretel house

Photo credit: Tomas Dashuber, (c) Gemeinde Oberammergau
A moving scene from the Play

Photo credit: Julie Falkner
The ornate altar of the church of St Peter and St Paul

Photo credit: Tomas Dashuber, (c) Gemeinde Oberammergau
The Passion Play Theater

Julie Falkner is a New Zealander currently living in Canada. Her life revolves to a large extent around mathematics, children’s books, and travel. She is a developer of mathematical software, has written numerous reviews of children’s books (see them at www.cherryvalleybooks.com) and when not actually travelling is busy planning the next trip. She recently returned from an adventure which included Germany, Austria, Hungary and Greece. Contact Julie at