The history of the Oberammergau Passion Play begins in 1633. In the midst of the Thirty Years'
War as plagues brought suffering and death for months on end the people of Oberammergau vowed
that they would stage the 'play of the suffering death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ' every ten years. It was at Pentecost in 1634 that they first fulfilled this promise. In
2022 the community will present the Passion Play for the 42nd time an unrivalled feat of
continuity. Almost half the residents of Oberammergau more than 2000 participants mount the
life of Jesus of Nazareth in a five-hour performance on the imposing open-air stage of the
Passion Play Theatre in southern Bavaria. With more than one hundred performances and half a
million spectators it is the most successful amateur production in the world and is included
on UNESCO's register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The official illustrated book documents
Christian Stückl's new production of the Passion Play with set designs costumes and tableaux
vivants by Stefan Hageneier. It is the third Passion Play production that the two
Oberammergau-born artists have staged together one that sees them forging a connection with
the present day highlighting the pressing issues of asylum and integration. The rehearsals are
captured by Icelandic cinematographer Birgit Guðjónsdóttir and her moving andrichly detailed
photographs reveal the enormous energy and emotional force of this unique event.
