Oberammerrgau:: The Troubling Story of the World's Most Famous Passion Play by James Shapiro

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Oberammergau: The Troubling Story of the World's Most Famous Passion Play by James Shapiro 

A fascinating portrait of a German village and the millennial production of its controversial Passion play, which has been staged once in each decade since 1634

In 1633, the residents of the small village Oberammergau made a vow that if they were spared from a plague that was sweeping the countryside, they would perform a Passion play in perpetuity.

Legend has it that no more villagers died and the town has famously kept its vow

 The Bavarian village of Oberammergau has staged the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ nearly every decade since 1634. Each production of the Passion Play attracts hundreds of thousands, many drawn by the spiritual benefits it promises. Yet Hitler called it a convincing portrayal of the menace of Jewry, and in 1970 a group of international luminaries boycotted the play for its anti-Semitism.  

As the production for the year 2000 drew near, James Shapiro was there to document the newest wave of obstacles that faced the determined Bavarian villagers. Erudite and judicious, Oberammergau is a fascinating and important look at the unpredictable and sometimes tragic relationship between art and society, belief and tolerance, religion and politics.

 

Author – James Shapiro

Format – Hardcover  – 238 pages

Publisher – Pantheon

ISBN  0 375 40926 2

Condition – NEW with Dust Jacket