The Oberammergau Passion Play

May 24, 1929 page 8 The Oberammergau Passion Play _____ The Entire Citizenry of Oberammergau wishes to make the following public: _____ Those were terrible times when in the year 1633 the 12 elders of Oberammergau with the entire community abandonned the solemn promise to commemorate the passion of the Savior of the world, which was held every 10 years. This observance was one of grateful reverence and public edification. For a hundred years religious discord had divided the people. For decades all districts and streets echoed with cries of battle and clanging of weapons. Amid the fury of war came dreadful illnesses and plagues to all regions. The old Oberammergau texts and the books of the regional pastors plus the chronicle of the Clerical Council of Daisenberg reported these things. In 1633 there was such widespread disease in the neighboring regions of Ammerthale, particularly in Partenkirchen, Eschlohe and Kohlgrub, that only few people survived. Although Ammerthal is divided by the moutains from other regions and all precautions and measures were taken to prevent such dreadful malady, it came from the unsuspected source of a daily laborer named Kaspar Schiessler, who had come from Eschenlohe, where he worked as a fieldhand during the summer. He had taken a secret path over the mountains home in order to celebrate a church consecration with his family. He came down with the sickness and on the second day he died. Within three weeks 81 other people followed him to the grave. In such dire need the local congregation sought the Almighty's help and took a solemn vow to demonstrate that its faithful reliance would not be for nought. Not one more person died of the disease although many had come down with it. In the following year, 1634, to fulfill the oath, the drama of Jesus' Passion was performed for the first time. In 1860 performances were rescheduled for every ten years and since that time the Obersammergau community has fulfilled the oath of its ancestors without being halted by difficulties and obstacles. In many ways there were difficulties and obstacles which had to be overcome in order to perform this play. Sometimes it was difficult to obtain permission to perform it even though from 1870 onward this privilege was expressly and exclusively guaranteed throughout the country. High water flooded the region so the play yielded slender profits. An accidental fire in 1817 destroyed the passion play's music and the composer, teacher Rochus Dedler, had to compose a new score. Declarations of war called actors and audience away from performances as armies came into the region. There were difficult ordeals and infestations. However Oberammergau never experienced such hard times that it had to forego the fulfillment of its vow until now. In 1920 the play was supposed to take place, however its reenactment was an impossibility. First we have to explain the political and economic situation. Substitutes would have to be procured and trained to replace the victims of the War — 67 sons of the region found their deaths. They were held in high honor along with all the fallen heroes of other regions and other allied and enemy nations. Many others suffered as the result of their wounds and illnesses. Even now all the injuries inflicted by the war upon individuals and the general population have not completely healed. And to this day peace and order have not yet returned. However if we decide to perform the play again it will happened because we are resolved to fulfill our vow despite the difficult conditions and when we, like our forefathers, acknowledge our sacred duty to conscience and homeland. It may come that we are pressed on to a decision from outside. For years requests for a return of the Passion Play of Obersammergau, the numerous passion and mystery plays as they were performed every ten years have multiplied. The people of Oberammergau have been in no shape to honor these requests, however it provides proof that there is genuine desire for passion play performances and a yearning for spiritual renewal. The population of Oberammergau is not indifferent to this. And so we will go back to our work in these trying times. Let no one say that the spirit of the vow has been extinguished or that the performance of play is merely an option. If that were the case then we would not have taken huge steps towards giving new performances. Those steps have led us to doubt and perhaps disillusionment. We've made great sacrifices for this cause, measuring the play's value to each individual while offering a welcoming home to guests. We have not done this for the hope of financial gain but in faithfulness to our traditions and to the memories of our ancestors. We're not going back to our work in desperate apprehension but rather with the old love and enthusiasm of our forefathers, to whose customs we wish to remain true. We return to our work with trust in our God, who has always led us to a fortunate outcome. It is a blessing for our region and our visitors and reestablishes trust among our old friends who remain loyal to us during hard times, stand with us in word and deed, and unite with the many thousands whose hearts cry out to the Redeemer. The play has the title, "Das grosse Versöhnungsopfer auf Golgatha" (The Great Atonement Sacrifice on Golgatha.) That is what our forefathers dubbed it and so we too wish to have it known and appreciated. May it contribute to the individual's act of atonement with his God and the Christian community's reconciliation in its breach of faith to other nations. And so we offer all our guests renewed heartfelt welcome with the words from our holy play:                   Let all be greeted                   Who come in love                   To reunited with the Savior.                   Feel His sorrow as you go                   Down to the peace of His grave!                                                                         The Entire Citizenry of Oberammergau                                                                         Oberammergau, 1929 _____ Investigation of the Textile Industry _____ A motion was made in the U.S. Senate to appoint a Commission to investigate the working conditions in the cotton spinning and weaving industry. The motion was pronpted by the strike in the textile factories in the southern states. Luther Youth Choir plans Trip to America _____ The Luther Youth Choir of Eisenach, under the direction of Conductor Kaiser, plans to undertake a concert tour through America this coming winter. Several American church organizations have already declared they will contribute to the tour's financing. The Eisenach Choir follows the tradition of old youth choirs and wandering minstrels by performing church songs. Martin Luther himself belonged to such a choir of singers. _____ Only Hot Weather in August _____ Frank Doe of Ogdensburg, a well-known weather prophet, doesn't just deliver happy prophecies. We've been waiting a long time for warm and dry weather since the coal cellar is empty and the house is consistently cool despite the fact that we've reached the end of the merry month of May. Mr. Doe says that June will be completely wet, the weather will be even worse in July, and only August will bring summery weather. A difficult winter lies ahead. We can only hope that the man hasn't gotten it right! _____ Baptism by Fire _____ New York, May 23rd. — The "Leviathan" had a fire caused by spontaneous combustion in a storage room while the giant steamer was at anchor. Its departure on Saturday will not be affected. _____ In various circles great unrest as been caused by a terrible explosion at a hospital in Cleveland. Informed sources have reported that special equipment has been installed in the hospital to make sure a similar accident will not occur again. The film for X-Ray machines will be stored in fireproof rooms. In a few hospitals the film is stored in separate buildings. These rooms and buildings will be inspected regularly by the Fire Department.