Why do lots of tourists flock to the town of Oberammergau every ten years?

The Oberammergau Passion Play was first performed in 1635 and is the result of a vow made by the inhabitants of the village that if God spared them from the effects of the bubonic plague then sweeping the region they would perform a passion play every ten years. The play is now performed in years ending with a zero, except 1984 which was the 350th anniversary, and involves over 2000 actors, singers, instrumentalists and technicians, all residents of the village.

Oberammergau Passion Play 2010

About half the inhabitants of Oberammergau take part in the once-a-decade Passion Play in 2010.

This means that over 2,000 villagers will bring the story of Jesus of Nazareth to life for the audiences that flock in from around the world. The play starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem, continues with his death on the cross and finishes with the resurrection. As ever, this is an extraordinary community enterprise.

2010 sees a new production directed by Christian Stückl, director at Munich’s noted Volkstheater. He is supported by the artistic team that along with him staged the 2000 Passion Play: deputy director and dramatic adviser Otto Huber, set and costume designer Stefan Hageneier and music director Marxus Zwink and conductor Michael Bocklet – all from Oberammergau. The play starts at 14.30 and including a three-hour interval ends at 22.30, performances take place between mid-May and early October 2010.