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Passion play performed in Germany

The Oberammergau Passion Play (Oberammergauer Passionsspiele) is a passion play that has been performed every 10 years from 1634 to 1674 and each decadal year since 1680 (with a few exceptions) by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany. It was written by Othmar Weis, J A Daisenberger, Otto Huber, Christian Stuckl, Rochus Dedler, Eugen Papst, Marcus Zwink, Ingrid H Shafer, and the inhabitants of Oberammergau, with music by Dedler. Since its first production it has been performed on open air stages in the village. The text of the play is a composite of four distinct manuscripts dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The play is a staging of Jesus' passion, covering the short final period of his life from his visit to Jerusalem and leading to his execution by crucifixion. It is the earliest continuous survivor of the age of Christian religions vernacular drama.

The play is performed every ten years. From 1634 to 1674, it was performed in years ending in 4. Since 1680, it has been performed in years ending in the digit zero. There have been several cancellations and off cycle performances. Year scheduled Year performed Description 1770 Cancelled Elector Maximilian III Joseph banned all passion plays in Bavaria, saying, "The theatre stage is no place for the greatest secret of our holy religion." 1800 1800, 1801 After passion plays were banned in Bavaria in 1770, Oberammergau was given special permission to perform the passion play in 1780, 1790, and 1800. The 1800 play was disrupted by the Napoleonic Wars, and the town performed the play again in 1801 to pay back the debt. Off cycle 1934 Additional performance to mark the 300th anniversary; rise of Nazi Party.

Oberammergau's original parish church proved to be far too small for performances of the Passion Play, so it was decided to hold the Play in the graveyard of the church, before the graves of the villagers who had died in the plague. The fame of the Play must have spread quickly to the surrounding towns and villages for as early as 1674 records show that seats were to be provided for the audience. Over the following years, sets and stage mechanics were added to the simple wooden stage structure. By the middle of the 18th century, it was obvious that the graveyard was also too small and a new venue was found on a field close by; however, the stage had to be specially built every year of the Play. The first permanent stage seems to have been built in 1815 to a design by the then local parish priest. In 1830 he was asked to help build a new, larger stage on the site of the present theatre. When it rained the audience got wet: umbrellas would have obscured the view of people sitting behind them. However, in 1890 a new, purpose built theatre was built and, apart from some of the scenes on the side of the stage, it would have looked much as it does today. It was ready in time for the 1900 performance, with the six arched hall capable of holding over 4000 spectators. The theatre was enlarged in time for the 1930 and 1934 seasons and whilst it was considered ugly and uncomfortable it was praised for its superb acoustics and sight of the stage. Following the 1990 production both the interior and façade of the theatre were renovated and the stage mechanics modernised. It has now been transformed – new more comfortable seating has been installed along with under floor heating; cloakrooms have been extended; the foyer made accessible for wheelchair users; exhibition areas added; safety and toilet facilities improved. In 2010 a retractable glass roof was installed over the stage, which before then had been open to precipitation. Today the theatre can seat an audience of over 4700.

The special jubilee season of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1934, marking the 300th anniversary of the original vow to stage the play every ten years thereafter, was the first and only performance after the Nazi regime's rise to power the previous year. Among other things, the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda ordered the official poster for the jubilee season amended to include the message "Deutschland ruft dich!" ("Germany is calling you! "), and the Kraft durch Freude scheme's discount travel programme offered special cut rate packages for the Passion Play, including train fare, tickets and accommodations. Official propaganda described the Passion Play as "peasant drama inspired by the consecrating power of the soil", and Hitler attended a performance. An attempt to rewrite the Passion Play script to bring it into line with Nazi ideology was rejected, however, by the more conservative element.

Missio Canonica is a canonical certification necessary for preaching. In 19th century Germany, it was extended to teaching as well. In 1922 the Catholic Church gave the play a Missio Canonica. It is a certification that the beliefs of the Catholic Church are being taught or, in this case, being presented.