Oberammergau 2010
Oberammergau's play has a dramatic, even miraculous origin. The outbreak of plague which hit Northern Europe in the early 1630's, did not pass the village by and claimed the lives of many of its inhabitants. In 1634 the village prayed as one and vowed that if the plague left the village a play commemorating the Passion of Jesus Christ would be performed, not once, but every ten years. This was no empty promise. Not another villager died from the plague and to this day the play has been performed every ten years.
The Play today: the spirit of the play has not changed, it has not been allowed to become a commercial event, no recording of the play is made, the only way to see it is to witness it in person. This is still a village offering, those taking part in the performances were born in Oberammergau or have lived there for at least twenty years. The play is performed in the Passion Play Theatre in the village and although the stage is open air, the auditorium is covered and therefore performances take place whatever the weather. The play itself is a mixture of acted scenes from the New Testament and tableaux from the Old Testament accompanied by sung choruses.
The election of Pope Benedict XVI on 19th April 2005 was a reminder that his Bavarian homeland is one of Europe's most Catholic regions. It is also noted for its beautiful Alpine scenery and the extravagant baroque churches the people built to celebrate their faith. British and Irish people may also be surprised to discover that it is a region with many links to our own islands through the missionaries who left those shores to bring the Gospel to Southern Germany. Amongst the most famous of these was St. Walburga, a Dorset nun whose shrine in the convent at Eichstätt is still a focus of pilgrimage for those seeking the miraculous oil which flows from her tomb. This will be a highlight of our own pilgrimage, as well as our visit to the ancient shrine of Altötting, called by Pope Benedict "one of the hearts of Europe". To reflect on the more recent history of the Church we will go to the concentration camp at Dachau where many gave their lives as martyrs and to the village of Marktl-am-Inn, birthplace of the present Holy Father.
For Group Leaders:
Pax Travel is please to offer parishes, schools and special interest groups the chance to draw up your own itinerary to visit Oberammergau. We will cost it for you and request allocations from the organisers of Oberammergau 2010. You may already have your own programme in mind, or you may like to ask us for suggestions. We have five different ideas for itineraries outlined briefly below but we could think of over 100 different ideas!
For Individuals:
We will have various public tour between May and October 2010. All of which will appear on this page.
