P/V 
 
 3'Z35 
 
 'Vf ' 
 
 Josephine Helena short 
 
CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Mrs. Edmund E. Day 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PN 3235.S55 
 
 Oberammergau. 
 
 3 1924 027 190 523 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027190523 
 
Oberammergau 
 
 By 
 JOSEPHINE HELENA SHORT 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 New York 
 THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. 
 
 Publishers 
 
Copyright, 1910, 
 By THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY. 
 
 Published May, igio. 
 
 
To 
 
 Anton and Mathilde Lang 
 
 and My Other Friends 
 
 in Oberammergau 
 
Preface 
 
 IN August of igcxa I saw the Passion Play in 
 Oberammergau. During the days that fol- 
 lowed, my thoughts, constantly returning to 
 the little village, especially on the days when the 
 Play was given, led me back for a longer stay and 
 three, performances of the Play, and eventually 
 again drew me back from Scotland for the last 
 three representations and another month in the 
 interesting little community. My visits with my 
 friends there during the intervening years have 
 always given me the same pleasure and inspira- 
 tion. 
 
 There is no other village like Oberammergau. 
 The people there are united by one ideal, the ful- 
 filment of a vow made by their forefathers nearly 
 three hundred years ago. They feel that they 
 were born for this purpose and to it they devote 
 their lives. They represent their Passion Play 
 now with the same love and reverence with which 
 they have given it through the centuries. 
 
 " Oberammergau und sein Passionsspiel, 1910," 
 by Ferdinand Feldigl, gives the feeling of the 
 village in the words 'of the Burgomaster, Johann 
 Lang, at the laying of the corner-stone of the 
 new Passion theatre in 1899 : " As we again 
 approach the fulfilment of the vow of our fore- 
 
vi PREFACE 
 
 fathers, who can censure us if we have en- 
 deavored to place upon our Play the stamp of our 
 great time, in so far as it allows itself to be united 
 with our inherited traditions ? But though we 
 wish to respond to the reasonable wishes of the 
 public, we are not willing to allow ourselves to be 
 tempted by the applause of the crowd to open all 
 our gates and doors to new things. We will hold 
 fast to the ideals of which our Passion Play is the 
 basis. May the day never come on which Am- 
 mergau breaks faith with its traditions. On the 
 contrary, may there hover over us and animate us 
 in the new theatre also, the old spirit, the spirit of 
 our fathers." 
 
 The adherence of the community to this one 
 lofty ideal for so long a period has developed a 
 character so strong, so consistent, that even in the 
 glare of publicity which surrounds them every ten 
 years they keep their inborn simplicity and imself- 
 consciousness and are able not only to impersonate, 
 but for the time actually to live, the characters they 
 represent. 
 
 All who make their journey to Oberammergau 
 a pilgrimage will find their anticipations realized 
 both in the lives of the villagers and in their 
 presentation of the Passion Play, the most moving 
 religious observance in the world to-day. 
 
 J. H. S. 
 

 Contents 
 
 
 CHAPTEI 
 I. 
 
 t 
 
 The Village and the People 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I 
 
 II. 
 
 Origins of the Play 
 
 5 
 
 III. 
 
 Practice Plays and the Players . 
 
 ■ IS 
 
 IV. 
 
 The Charge of Commercialism 
 
 22 
 
 V. 
 
 Choice of Characters . 
 
 . 28 
 
 VI. 
 
 The Production .... 
 
 ■ 35 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Production {Continued) 
 
 . 60 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Closing Scenes of Passion Summer 
 
 . 81 
 
 Vll 
 
Illustrations 
 
 Oberammergau 
 
 The Village Church 
 The Passion Theatre 
 The Monastery of Ettal 
 The New Road to Oberammergau 
 A Field Crucifix 
 The "Mary" of 1880 
 Andreas Lang . 
 Andreas Lang as David 
 Thomas Rendl in Village Street 
 A Village Child 
 Village Boys, 1900 . 
 Anton Lang 
 The Prologus, 1900 
 Anna, singing " Heil dir " 
 Anton Lang and his Family 
 Alfred Bierling, " St. John " 
 Ottilie Zwink, the " Mary " 
 House of Anton Lang 
 Passion Theatre, looking from Stage 
 The Stage, with Chorus of Protecting Spirits 
 
 ix 
 
 Frontispiece 
 
 OPPOSITE PAGE 
 
 2 
 2 
 
 6 
 6 
 10 
 10 
 16 
 16 
 20 
 20 
 24 
 
 24 
 28 
 
 32 
 32 
 36 
 36 
 40 
 40 
 42 
 
X ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 OPPOSITE PACB 
 
 The Christus, 1900, 1910 .... 44 
 
 Mary, 19CX) 48 
 
 Leader of the Chorus, 1890, 1900, 1910 . 52 
 
 The Lord's Supper 56 
 
 SCHUTZGEIST, OnE OF ChORUS OF PROTECTING 
 
 Spirits 58 
 
 The Sanhedrim 60 
 
 Peter, 1900 64 
 
 Judas, 1890, 1900, 1910 66 
 
 Pilate, 1900, 1910 68 
 
 Pilate on the Balcony of his Palace . . 72 
 
 John, 1890, 1900 76 
 
 The Scene of the Crucifixion ... 78 
 
 Johann Lang 82 
 
OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE VILLAGE AND THE PEOPLE 
 
 THE peaceful village of Oberammergau 
 lies in the Highlands of Bavaria, about 
 seventy miles southwest of Munich. It 
 is surrounded on three sides by larch- and fir-clad 
 mountains, the nearest of which is a craggy peak 
 called the Kofel, the guardian of the village. On 
 its summit a lofty cross, fitting emblem of Ober- 
 ammergau, is the first object to meet the traveller's 
 eye as he approaches the valley. The village, 
 with an altitude of 2,745 feet, stands in the midst 
 of green fields on the banks of the shining 
 Ammer, a swift mountain stream, that winding in 
 from the meadows speeds through the village and 
 out into the meadows again. The white houses, 
 each surrounded by a flower-garden and many of 
 them decorated with bright frescoes of Biblical sub- 
 jects, painted in the latter part of the eighteenth 
 century, cluster around the village church, the 
 tower of which, surmounted by its small mosque- 
 like dome, seems to keep guard over the little 
 
2 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 place. The churchyard is a beautiful, peaceful 
 spot, where after service the worshippers stop to 
 say a prayer over the flower-covered graves of 
 their dear ones. This is the beautiful home of a 
 people who have reverently dedicated their lives 
 to one great purpose, which they have followed 
 out with such steadfastness that their tiny isolated 
 village has become known to the whole world. 
 
 The fact that the name of Oberammergau, which 
 means " upper district of the Ammer," is on al- 
 most every tongue, that newspapers and period- 
 icals are making constant reference to the little 
 village and its Passion Play, does not mean that 
 the people of Oberammergau are doing some new 
 thing. For five hundred years or more they have 
 been giving the Passion Play for themselves, and 
 probably with just as much love and devotion as 
 they do now even when so many of the world go 
 to see them. 
 
 The enthusiastic accounts written by Guido 
 Gorres, Baron de Roisin, and Ludwig Steub of 
 the Passion Play of 1840 were perhaps Oberam- 
 mergau's first introduction to the world. It was 
 still more widely heralded by Edward Devrient's 
 splendid description of the representation of 1850, 
 when Tobias Plunger's Christus so entirely ful- 
 filled Devrient's ideal of the sacred character. 
 Dean Stanley saw the Passion Play in i860 and 
 wrote a most appreciative account of it. 
 
M 
 H 
 
 I? 
 o 
 
 K 
 
 O 
 
 
THE VILLAGE AND THE PEOPLE 3 
 
 In 1870 the Play was interrupted by the Franco- 
 Prussian war and many of the principal performers 
 were drafted for service, even Joseph Mayr, the 
 Christus of that year, being obliged to go. Through 
 the favor of the King, however, he was not called 
 into active service but was stationed at Munich. 
 The following year, when peace was declared, the 
 Oberammergauers asked permission from the 
 government to resume the interrupted perform- 
 ances as a thanksgiving for the victorious termina- 
 tion of the war. 
 
 People came in great numbers to this represen- 
 tation and the Play has become more widely 
 known each decade until now the audience is 
 made up of visitors from almost every part of the 
 globe, instead of the peasants from the surround- 
 ing villages who were formerly the sole witnesses. 
 Formerly the road to Oberammergau fulfilled the 
 Ammergau proverb, " The way to the Passionsspiel 
 should be a way of penance," as it led up so steep 
 a mountain road that even those who went in 
 carriages had to dismount and toil up the steepest 
 part while four horses had much difificulty in pull- 
 ing up the empty carriage. To-day the traveller 
 is taken by rail to the very outskirts of the village. 
 
 Of the two hundred thousand or more people 
 who visited Oberammergau in 1900, compara- 
 tively few spent more than a day in the little vil- 
 lage. The majority went away knowing little of the 
 
4 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 lives and history of the inhabitants. All must have 
 been deeply impressed by the Passion Play and 
 many by even the little they saw of the villagers ; 
 others, incapable of appreciating the devoted spirit 
 of the little community, carried away erroneous 
 ideas which have been given to the world. It 
 must be largely through these superficial observa- 
 tions that the report has gone abroad that the 
 Oberammergauers have been spoiled by so much 
 adulation and contact with the world and that 
 they have commercialized their Passion Play. 
 
 The Oberammergauers are not spoiled and 
 they have not commercialized their Play, which 
 will be proved in a following chapter. They 
 are so united in following their one high ideal 
 which is founded on the rock of centuries of tradi- 
 tion and custom, that the tides of worldly visitors 
 which threaten to submerge the village at the end 
 of every decade flow away leaving very little im- 
 pression on the strong personality of the inhab- 
 itants. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 ORIGINS OF THE PLAY 
 
 THOUGH Oberammergau, hemmed in by 
 mountains and remote from great centres, 
 has been so little known until within 
 recent years, its history carries us back to the 
 time of the Romans. The old Roman road from 
 Italy to Augsburg, the Roman stronghold in the 
 province of Vindelicia, passed through the Valley 
 of the Ammer, and the Roman legions had a sta- 
 tion there which they called "Ad Coveliacas," 
 meaning the Station at the Kofel. At a later 
 period, during the Teutonic invasions, the barbaric 
 hordes swept down and drove the Romans back 
 into Italy and then occupied the country them- 
 selves. It is probable that the Bavarians, though 
 descended from the Teutons, have also Celtic and 
 Italian blood in their veins. And indeed, though 
 they speak the German tongue, the inhabitants of 
 Oberammergau seem to be, not of the German 
 type, but a type by themselves. The Celtic ele- 
 ment in their blood may account partly for their 
 peculiar artistic development. 
 
 Even in the early times, when most of the vil- 
 5 
 
6 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 lages of the country were in a condition of 
 serfdom, Oberammergau had certain privileges 
 held only by free towns. In the year 1330 the 
 Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria founded in the 
 beautiful Valley of Ettal, three miles from Ober- 
 ammergau, a monastery, whose romantic history is 
 closely interwoven with that of Oberammergau. It 
 is related that Ludwig, the Bavarian, had just been 
 crowned in Rome and that on his journey home 
 he was attacked by enemies near Milan. While 
 he was in the Monastery of Saint Victor praying 
 for succor, a monk appeared to him bearing in 
 his arms a beautiful image of the Madonna. He 
 promised the Emperor divine aid if he would 
 carry the sacred image north until he should 
 receive a sign from heaven, and at the place 
 where this was given, found a monastery for the 
 preservation and worship of the Madonna. The 
 Emperor gave the promise and departed with his 
 holy burden. 
 
 The narrative goes on to say that after the 
 Emperor's horse had climbed the steep road to 
 the Valley of Ettal, it knelt three times and re- 
 fused to go farther ! The Emperor interpreted 
 this as the heavenly message and here he founded 
 the Monastery of Ettal. About the middle of the 
 eighteenth century the buildings were struck by 
 lightning and burned to the ground, but the 
 image was saved and the Monastery rebuilt. 
 
Thi; JIonastjory of Ettal 
 
 The New Roau to Oberammkrqau 
 
ORIGINS OF THE PLAY 7 
 
 There the miraculous little Madonna is preserved 
 and worshipped by many pilgrims even to this 
 day. 
 
 It is maintained by some writers that this 
 Monastery was built by Emperor Ludwig as a 
 Grail Temple. It was his father who com- 
 manded the Minnesinger, Wolfram von Eschen- 
 bach, to write the epic poem " Titurel," in which 
 there is a beautiful description of the Holy Grail 
 and the Castle of Monsalvat. It would have 
 been natural for the Emperor to have this ideal 
 in mind when he founded this institution for the 
 reception of the sacred statue. As guardians of 
 the image he installed twenty-two Benedictine 
 monks and thirteen knights with their ladies. 
 He chose a most beautiful region for his Mon- 
 astery, and the supposition may easily be true 
 that after his rupture with the Vatican he quieted 
 his wounded spirit by imagining himself another 
 Amfortas as he sailed on the calm waters of the 
 neighboring Plansee. 
 
 At the laying of the corner-stone, the Emperor 
 gave to the villagers of Oberammergau a paper 
 recognizing their freedom. This Monastery to- 
 gether with a still older one called Rottenbuch 
 has had a great influence over the people of 
 Oberammergau, for their monks were always 
 interested in the gifted and devout villagers and 
 in fact had considerable jurisdiction over them. 
 
8 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 A period of great prosperity began at this time 
 for the little mountain village. The road from 
 Verona to Augsburg was restored, and was used 
 now by the gay hunting cavalcades of the Em- 
 peror, and again by the caravans of German and 
 Italian merchants. There was a law that all goods 
 had to be unloaded and exposed for sale in the vil- 
 lage, and the carters of Oberammergau had the 
 exclusive right to transport the goods to the 
 nearest station on either side. This brought the 
 villagers into direct contact with the civilization 
 and learning of the outside world, especially the 
 flourishing towns of Augsburg and Nuremberg, 
 whence they learned much of the art of the 
 Middle Ages. It also gave them an opportunity 
 to dispose of their wood-carvings, for which 
 they had become noted even in those early times. 
 These carvings were taken all over Europe, 
 partly by the Oberammergauers themselves and 
 party by the foreign merchants. 
 
 The wars" wliich began about the middle of the 
 sixteenth century put an end to this time of 
 prosperity. Instead of caravans of rich merchants, 
 rough troups of soldiers marched through the 
 village, leaving poverty and misery in their train. 
 And all these wars brought a heavy burden of 
 taxation on the poor villagers. 
 
 In 1633, the year following the Swedish in- 
 vasion, the plague broke out in the country. It 
 
ORIGINS OF THE PLAY 9 
 
 made such terrible ravages that many of the ham- 
 lets were almost depopulated. By maintaining 
 the strictest quarantine and exercising great vigi- 
 lance and precaution Oberammergau for some 
 time remained free from the scourge. But Cas- 
 par Schussler, an Oberammergauer who was 
 working in Eschenlohe, a neighboririg village, 
 could not resist the longing to join his family for 
 one of the annual church festivals, so he came 
 over the mountains and stole into the village at 
 night. In three days he died and during the 
 next three weeks eighty-four of the people of 
 Oberammergau succumbed to the pestilence. 
 
 In their affliction the chief members of the 
 community met and made a solemn vow to repre- 
 sent the Passion Tragedy every ten years, and the 
 chronicle states that " from this time on not a 
 single man died, though many still had symptoms 
 of the plague about them." 
 
 This vow was in accordance with the spirit of 
 the time, for the period of the plague abounds in 
 votive offerings. Many cities and towns built 
 chapels or even churches, as the church of Santa 
 Maria della Salute in Venice ; some made vows to 
 celebrate mass at certain times, and others to have 
 sacred processions. 
 
 Early in the eighteenth century came another 
 period of peace and prosperity during which 
 Oberammergau merchants established firms for 
 
lo OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 the sale of their carvings in different parts of 
 Europe, as far away as St. Petersburg on the one 
 hand and Cadiz on the other. But the heads of 
 these firms almost always came back to spend 
 their last days in their beloved village and natu- 
 rally they brought with them many of the customs 
 of the outside world. 
 
 Following this period there came a succession 
 of wars with their attendant evils, which lasted 
 with brief intermissions down through the first 
 fifteen years of the nineteenth century. These 
 were followed by failure of crops and famine. 
 Now and again the river would flood the village. 
 
 All these misfortunes reduced the people of 
 Oberammergau to a state of great poverty, but 
 they always remained faithful to their vow and 
 continued to give their Passion Play ; and in time 
 they renewed their wood-carving industry. But 
 not until the year 1880 did their fortunes begin 
 to mend. After the Passion Play of that year 
 they were able to pay some of their debts, and to 
 begin some much-needed improvements in the 
 village. The river which had often overflowed its 
 banks and flooded the valley was controlled by 
 embankments, the roads were improved. In later 
 years they have put in a new water supply and 
 have founded a hospital. 
 
 Ludwig Lang, teacher of drawing and wood- 
 carving, established a school for wood-carving 
 

 X 
 
 o 
 b 
 
 Pi 
 Q 
 
 
ORIGINS OF THE PLAY ii 
 
 and for some years carried it on without remuner- 
 ation. It is now supported by the village, aided 
 by the government, Ludwig Lang being the di- 
 rector. There is also an excellent village school to 
 which every child is sent as soon as it is six years 
 old. 
 
 Whether the Oberammergauers learned the art 
 of wood-carving from outside sources or whether 
 they originated it themselves is not known, but 
 records state that they practised it early in the 
 twelfth century. In " Oberammergau and its Pas- 
 sion Play," Frau Hermine Diemer writes : " The 
 profession of carving was important. Territorial 
 jurisdiction adjusted it with regulations of its own 
 by founding a Handwerksordnung, ' Guild of Ar- 
 tisans.' The carvers protested and the title was 
 altered to Bildschnitzereiordnung, ' Guild of Wood- 
 carvers,' and carving was to be a profession. This 
 was confirmed by Electoral vote on January 5, 
 1682." This art of sculpturing in wood has al- 
 ways been a source of inspiration to them in the 
 production of the Passion Play and may have sug- 
 gested it to them in the beginning. 
 
 As Oberammergau was in constant communi- 
 cation with the two friendly towns of Augsburg 
 and Nuremberg, it is possible that the Oberam- 
 mergauers with their highly developed artistic in- 
 stincts were encouraged in the giving of their 
 Passion Play by seeing the plays that took place 
 
12 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 in those two art centres of the Middle Ages. 
 Mystery plays were given in other parts of the 
 country in the fourteenth century and it is prob- 
 able that the Oberammergauers gave their Pas- 
 sion Play at an equally early date. A people un- 
 used to presenting the Play could not have pre- 
 pared as elaborate a production in a few months 
 as did the villagers of Oberammergau at the time 
 they made their vow. They gave the Passion 
 Play the following year, 1634, and after that every 
 ten years up to 1674. In 1680 the date of repre- 
 sentation was changed to the even decimal year. 
 It has been given at the end of every decade 
 since, except in 1770 and in 1810, when govern- 
 ment edicts were sent out forbidding the perform- 
 ance of Mystery or Passion plays. Only the re- 
 peated solicitations of the villagers, stimulated by 
 their determination to be true to the vow of their 
 forefathers, won the desired royal permission to 
 continue giving their Play. 
 
 The text that was used in 1664 is still preserved 
 in the village, and the examination made by 
 scholars convinces them that it was taken in part 
 from a text used in Augsburg in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, and from a text by Sebastian Wild, Meister- 
 singer in Nuremberg, in the middle of the six- 
 teenth. This text was revised and additions were 
 made at least three times before the eighteenth 
 century ; early in the nineteenth it was again re- 
 
ORIGINS OF THE PLAY 13 
 
 written and simplified by Father Ottmar Weiss of 
 Elttal ; and about thirty-five years ago the latest 
 changes were made by the village priest, the 
 Geistliche Rath or Spiritual Adviser, Joseph Aloys 
 Daisenberger, a remarkable man who devoted the 
 latter half of a strong, beautiful life to Oberam- 
 mergau. 
 
 Thus we see that the Passion Play of the present 
 time is a descendant and not a remnant, as it is so 
 often called, of the Mystery Plays of the Middle 
 Ages. 
 
 The Passion text is Scriptural and therefore 
 free from sectarian coloring. The speeches of the 
 Christus are taken almost word for word from the 
 New Testament narrative. The music, composed 
 by Rochus Dedler, an Oberammergau school- 
 master, in 1820, is simple and beautiful. One of 
 the requirements of the schoolmaster at Oberam- 
 mergau is that he shall be a musician and also be 
 able to compose music. 
 
 The costumes are made of the finest materials, 
 to withstand the exposure to sun and to rain 
 throughout the summer. Many of the stuffs are 
 imported from the Orient. Every decade all the 
 principal characters have new costumes, the old 
 ones being used for rainy days or for the " peo- 
 ple," — that is, the crowds represented in the Play. 
 They are all designed and made by the Oberam- 
 mergauers themselves, no one outside the village 
 
14 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 being allowed to take part in the Play or to assist 
 in any of their preparations. The only exception 
 to this unwritten law was in the erection of the 
 Passion theatre for 1900, when they employed a 
 Munich firm and an artist from Vienna. The plan 
 of the theatre, however, as well as the arrangement 
 of the stage, originated with Beneficiat Unhoch, 
 a native of Oberammergau, early in the nineteenth 
 century. 
 
 The earliest performances, those previous to 
 1634, were given in the church ; but as the peas- 
 ants from the neighboring villages began to come 
 to the Play, it was given in the churchyard. In 
 1830 this place had become too small, so a stage 
 was built in a meadow on the outskirts of the vil- 
 lage, the site of the present theatre. Formerly the 
 seats as well as the stage were open to the sky, 
 and the spectators would sometimes be drenched 
 by showers of rain and at others burned by the 
 hot rays of the sun. The present auditorium, 
 however, is covered, and is admirably arranged. 
 Its four thousand seats, all numbered, are on one 
 floor, the gradual upward slant of which enables 
 every one in the audience to see the stage. The 
 numerous entrances and exits, fourteen in all, give 
 easy access to the seats and enable the large 
 audience to disperse quickly. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 PRACTICE PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS 
 
 DURING the interval of ten years between 
 the Passion summers, the Oberammer- 
 gauers give practice plays both sacred 
 and historic, with occasional humorous sketches. 
 In 1902, during a short visit I made there, they 
 were presenting the play of " Esther." Only the 
 villagers were present, but the play was given 
 with the same dramatic fervor that one sees in the 
 Passion Play. 
 
 In 1905 they revived an old play called the 
 " Kreuzesschule," which they had not given 
 since 1875. The Kreuzesschule is a reversal of 
 the Passion Play, the action being from the Old 
 Testament, the life of David, and the tableaux 
 from the New. This was given several times in 
 1905 before large audiences in the Passion theatre. 
 It was perfectly rendered, Andreas Lang, the 
 Rabbi of 1900, taking the part of King David. 
 It required a sudden readjustment of mind, how- 
 ever, to see Petfer Rendl, the beloved Disciple 
 John of 1900, appear as the dashing young prince 
 
 IS 
 
1 6 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Absalom. Anton Lang was the Christus in the 
 tableaux, but took no part in the action of the 
 play. 
 
 In addition to the practice plays the Oberam- 
 mergauers have a Liederkranz or choral society, 
 which meets weekly ; a Turnverein or athletic 
 club, and also their orchestral rehearsals. They 
 are faithful in celebrating all the church festivals, 
 in which they frequently use the music of the 
 Passion Play, as on Palm Sunday, when they sing 
 " Hail to thee, hail to thee, Son of David," a 
 beautiful choral sung at Christ's entry into 
 Jerusalem, the opening scene of the Passion Play. 
 
 This constant practice develops the ability of 
 each participant, thus making it possible for the 
 committee to choose the best talent to rep- 
 resent the different characters in the Passion 
 Play. 
 
 It is perhaps needless to state at this point that 
 the majority of the people of Oberammergau are 
 not peasants. On the contrary, though they live 
 simply and even frugally and do some work in the 
 fields, they are a refined, cultivated people, sensi- 
 tive to all that is beautiful and good about them ; 
 and even more, in being able to express beauty 
 and goodness in their own lives. 
 
 One cannot be in their presence and look at 
 their strong, fine faces, many of which have great 
 beauty of feature as well as of expression, without 
 

 J 
 
 "A 
 
 "A 
 < 
 1-1 
 
 
PRACTICE PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS 17 
 
 being conscious of the nobility of their character. 
 It is all unstudied and natural, their stately bear- 
 ing, their gentle, courteous manner, their perfect 
 composure in the midst of excitement, and with it 
 all their true simplicity. 
 
 There are some peasants in the village, but the 
 majority of the people are artists. Their art has 
 always been inspired by a deeply religious feeling 
 and by their beautiful surroundings. At the pres- 
 ent time more than two hundred of the villagers 
 are carvers, or sculptors in wood, many of the 
 women even being proficient. They carve for the 
 most part sacred objects, as crucifixes, figures of 
 the apostles, often of life size, and scenes, like the 
 Last Supper. There are a few who carve furni- 
 ture and small objects. 
 
 The people of Oberammergau have such ever- 
 present high aims and so many interesting and 
 delightful things to think about and to plan and to 
 do daily that the questions of food and clothes — 
 such burning questions in the outside world — have 
 their proper place in the little village and are 
 limited to the needs of the villagers. Their tem- 
 perate living gives them not only rather spare 
 figures, but also the full use of their faculties, 
 whether needed for felling a tree on the side of 
 the mountain or for giving expression to the 
 highest form of dramatic art. They have been so 
 loyal to their ideals and the traditions of their an- 
 
i8 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 cestors that they have developed distinct types, — 
 the Christ type, the Apostle type. 
 
 They are cordial and responsive and genuinely 
 interested in the people who come to their village, 
 but at the same time they have a fine reserve. 
 Though they receive a world-wide advertising 
 during the Passion year, they do not care for no- 
 toriety. During the summer of 1900 Anton Lang, 
 the Christus, was betrothed to Mathilde Rutz, 
 the beautiful daughter of Jakob Rutz, the Choragus, 
 but the engagement was not made known until 
 after the visitors had gone. When the village is 
 thronged with tourists, many of whom, having 
 made no previous arrangement for rooms, are 
 unreasonable in their demands, one then has an 
 excellent opportunity of comparing the dignity 
 and courtesy of the native of Oberammergau with 
 the bustling importunity of his guest. Fortunately, 
 with all his other rare qualities, the Oberammer- 
 gauer has a keen sense of humor. 
 
 Many of the young men of the place, after 
 they have been through the village school, go to 
 Munich and sometimes to Stuttgart and other 
 cities, to continue their studies, but they always 
 come back to Oberammergau to live, somewhat 
 changed by their contact with the world but still 
 loyal to the village and its traditions. 
 
 In 1900 I wrote home from Oberammergau : 
 " The people here have a fashion of saying as they 
 
PRACTICE PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS 19 
 
 meet any one, stranger or native, in the streets, 
 'Griiss Gott,' 'God greets thee.' It is a pretty 
 custom and I really feel injured when any one 
 omits it. 
 
 " They are a delightful people to meet. They 
 are so simple and natural and dignified, with a 
 rare innate courtesy and refinement. 
 
 " Yesterday I again met Jakob Rutz, the leader 
 of the chorus, whose gentle courtesy is charming. 
 As he talks his face lights up with a rare smile. 
 We also saw Thomas Rendl, who is ideal as St. 
 Peter. He has a splendid face and his manner 
 was also beautiful. Johann Zwink, whose mar- 
 vellous rendering of the part of Judas is almost 
 beyond description, was altogether simple and 
 gentle and unassuming in his reception of us. 
 
 " Johann Zwink is a painter, Thomas Rendl a 
 carver, and Jakob Rutz a smith. Such perfect 
 courtesy, such absolute simplicity of manner and 
 such absence of self-consciousness, I believe you 
 could not meet elsewhere in the world. 
 
 "In talking with Anton Lang to-day I told 
 him that the words, ' Ich bin dazu geboren und 
 dazu bin ich in die Welt gekommen ' (Christ's 
 answer to Pilate, ' To this end was I born, and for 
 this came I into the world '), kept going through 
 my mind. Instantly he seemed to become another 
 being. The Christus look shone through his eyes 
 and made his face beautiful as he replied : ' Yes, 
 
20 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Christ came into the world to die for mankind. 
 He could have saved His life but He wished to 
 give it to save the world.' " 
 
 The inspiring influence of Father Daisenberger, 
 who died in 1883, is still felt in the village. He 
 was born in Oberau, six miles from the Ammer 
 Valley, was educated at Ettal under the learned 
 priest, Ottmar Weiss, and was doubtless well 
 acquainted with Oberammergau and the Passion 
 Play. When the people united in asking him 
 to become their priest, in 1845, he accepted. A 
 sentence from a letter he wrote at that time shows 
 the esteem he had for the people of Oberammer- 
 gau : " The native charm of the Ammerthal, the 
 loveliness of the village, the church, the parson- 
 age, but still more the enlightenment of the in- 
 habitants, their susceptibility to all that is noble 
 and good ... all had an extraordinary at- 
 traction for me." He was a man of scholarly 
 mind and high ideals and for thirty-eight years 
 was the guiding spirit of the community, making 
 their interests his interests and ever leading them 
 on to higher achievement. 
 
 Father Daisenberger directed the Passion Play 
 and wrote many sacred and historic plays, among 
 them " The Founding of the Monastery of Ettal," 
 which the villagers give as practice plays. In 
 1875 at the request of King Ludwig II, he re- 
 wrote all the speeches of the Prologus as well 
 
o 
 
 o 
 
 E4 
 
 H 
 CO 
 
 H 
 O 
 
 
 
 X' 
 
 -< 
 
 a 
 
 o 
 
 a 
 
PRACTICE PLAYS AND THE PLAYERS 21 
 
 as much of the text of the Play. He ennobled 
 the part of the Christus by taking his speeches 
 as far as possible verbatim from the New Testa- 
 ment narrative. 
 
 The lines of Father Daisenberger's last poem, 
 in their simple German, well express the sincerity 
 of spirit of this beloved priest : — 
 
 " Mein Gott, Dir hab ich mich ergeben, 
 Was Du willst, das gescheh' an mir ! 
 Willst Du, ich soil noch langer leben 
 In diesen Erdenthale hier, 
 Mir ist es recht, ich danke Dir. 
 
 " Doch nimmst Du dieses ird'sche Leben 
 Schon bald, recht bald zuriick von mir, 
 Mit Freuden sei es hingegeben, 
 Du gibst ein bess'res mir dafur, 
 Mir ist es recht, ich danke Dir." 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE CHARGE OF COMMERCIALISM 
 
 A QUOTATION from a little book on the 
 Passion Play, written by Archdeacon Far- 
 rar after the representations of 1890, is 
 interesting, as it gives his own view of the Ober- 
 ammergauers as well as a remarkable sermon : — 
 "The remarks of Pastor Daisenberger, in a 
 sermon preached on Whit Sunday, 1870, in the 
 church at Oberammergau, are so complete a vindi- 
 cation of the play from all suggestions of sordid 
 motives, and so strong a statement of its sacred 
 character, that I cannot do better than reproduce 
 them. He said, with touching dignity and sin- 
 cerity : ' Dear friends, you are called upon this 
 year to fulfil a great and holy vow ; you will, as it 
 were, in some measure take part in the Apostolic 
 office. From the day of Pentecost the Apostles 
 went into all lands to preach Jesus the Crucified — 
 His doctrines and His deeds, His life and His 
 death. His resurrection and His glorification — ^to 
 show to men how ancient prophecies, how the 
 types of the Old Testament, were fulfilled in Him. 
 We are not now to go forth into the world to make 
 
THE CHARGE OF COMMERCIALISM 23 
 
 known the Crucified, but thousands during this 
 year will come to us, and ours will be the privilege 
 to represent before them what the Apostles 
 preached. If we work together with holy zeal 
 worthily to represent these mysteries, then we 
 may hope that, with God's grace, great blessings 
 may ensue. Many pious Christians, touched by 
 the representation of their Saviour's death, will 
 return home edified and strengthened in their 
 faith and love, and with renewed resolutions to 
 continue His faithful disciples. Many of the luke- 
 warm and frivolous, unable to throw ofl the solemn 
 impressions they have received, will in future 
 show that the seeds of a more Christian life were 
 sown here. And it may be that the sight of the 
 Redeemer's great love for mankind, and of His 
 bitter sufferings for their sins, may draw tears of 
 repentance from the eyes of sinners, and these 
 tears, aided by God's good spirit, may be the be- 
 ginning of a sincere conversion and this gazing 
 on the Passion may be the way by which the 
 Good Shepherd seeks and finds His lost sheep. 
 But, dear friends, we can only hope for God's 
 blessing if we undertake our work with pure 
 motives and holy zeal, and not with selfish and 
 vainglorious motives. If with the latter, God will 
 look down upon us and upon our work with 
 displeasure, we shall be misusing and dishonor- 
 ing the most sacred things, we shall reap to 
 
24 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 ourselves, instead of honor, blame ; instead of gain, 
 most bitter loss. 
 
 " ' It is not our aim to shine in the art of acting, 
 that would be presumptuous and ridiculous in 
 simple country people ; but it must be the 
 earnest desire of each one to try and represent 
 worthily this most holy mystery. Each one who 
 takes the least part in this work is a necessary 
 link in the great chain ; let him therefore endeavor 
 to fulfil his task to the best of his ability, and thus 
 contribute to the success of the whole.' 
 
 "Then, after addressing each class of perform- 
 ers upon their own peculiar work, the preacher 
 adds : ' But as the Apostles taught men not only 
 by word, but also by their holy conversation, so 
 must we endeavor, if our work is to be blessed to 
 the hearts of men, to show, by our Christlike 
 moral conduct, not merely before the public, but 
 in our private life, the salutary effect produced on 
 our souls by the consideration of the atoning death 
 of our Lord. Let nothing go on either within or 
 without the theatre, in the streets, in your houses, 
 or in the church, which can give occasion for 
 offence. The eyes of many strangers will be fixed, 
 not only on our Play, but on ourselves. Let us 
 so live that we may have nothing to fear from the 
 all-searching eye of God, and the scrutinizing 
 gaze of our fellow-men. Let us from this time 
 show by increased zeal for our holy religion, by 
 
>5 a 
 
 O "O 
 
THE CHARGE OF COMMERCIALISM 25 
 
 our deep reverence for holy things, by our greater 
 love for our Redeemer, by our pure morals, by 
 our avoidance of sin, and our renewal of virtues, 
 that the representation of the Passion is not only 
 of spiritual benefit to others, but to ourselves as 
 well. Let us pray fervently that that Spirit may 
 assist us in the task we have undertaken. May 
 He ever be with us and in us. Amen.' " 
 
 Archdeacon Farrar adds : " The comparison of 
 the sweet, pure, happy, and deeply religious popu- 
 lation of this Bavarian village, in which I did not 
 hear one evil word, or see one unseemly sight, or 
 find the slightest trace of intemperance, with the 
 drunken squalor and blasphemy and vice of our 
 London slums, is an injustice so gross as to call for 
 the strongest reprobation. Nor less calumnious 
 is the frequently repeated charge of greed. On 
 the contrary, the people have shown the most 
 beautiful and disinterested magnanimity. Not to 
 speak of other proposals, in 1872 they refused no 
 less than 60,000 florins, offered them if they would 
 perform the Play in Vienna. The actors and the 
 people have repeatedly risen superior to the 
 temptations which the world, the flesh, and the 
 devil seem determined to throw in their way. 
 Three years ago 3,000 florins was offered them by 
 an Englishman merely for the music of the Play, 
 and they at once declined the offer." 
 
 What Archdeacon Farrar wrote in 1890 is just 
 
26 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 as true at the present day. Offers are constantly 
 made to the villagers, individually and as a com- 
 pany, but money does not tempt them. When 
 Joseph Mayr was asked by an American theat- 
 rical manager if he would go with the other per- 
 formers to America to give the Passion Play, he 
 replied : " Yes, we will go, if you will take the 
 Kofel. We can never give the Passion Play ex- 
 cept in the shadow of the Kofel." Anton Lang 
 has been repeatedly approached by managers. 
 
 They throw open their homes, such clean, 
 simple, cheerful homes, where they do all in their 
 power to make you comfortable. They incur con- 
 siderable expense for the extra supplies, such as 
 bedding and furniture, for which the returns of 
 the summer often have not repaid them. Also 
 during the Passion summer they are obliged to 
 procure most of their provisions from Munich and 
 other places, at high prices. In former years the 
 tourist agencies charged high rates for board and 
 lodging in Oberammergau and paid the villagers 
 only half and sometimes less than half the amount 
 received. The people who have exploited the 
 Play have doubtless made enormous profits, but 
 those who live in Oberammergau and give the 
 Play have had only small returns. 
 
 This year the Passion Play Committee have 
 taken the matter into their own hands and are 
 charging reasonable prices on a regular scale 
 
THE CHARGE OF COMMERCIALISM 27 
 
 according to the class of accommodalion fur- 
 nished.^ 
 
 During six months or more the villagers are 
 obliged to give up all tlieir regular occupations. 
 Their business connections are interrupted and 
 sometimes broken altogether. The financial re- 
 turns of the summer often do not compensate 
 them for what they lose. The salaries of the 
 players are small, the highest in 1900 being fifteen 
 hundred marks, about three hundred and seventy- 
 five dollars, for the whole season. The money 
 made by the sale of tickets is devoted to com- 
 munal purposes, the village being greatly im- 
 proved from decade to decade, and for the pay- 
 ment of all debts incurred in preparing for the 
 production of the Play. 
 
 ^ For tickets and accommodation write in English or German to 
 Wohnungsbureau, Oberammergau, Germany, 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 CHOICE OF CHARACTERS 
 
 THERE are between fourteen and fifteen 
 hundred people in the little community 
 closely knit together by their one ideal, 
 which influences even the choice of their govern- 
 ing body. They have a Biirgermeister — Mayor — 
 and a Council of Twelve, who are elected every 
 five years. The present Mayor is Sebastian 
 Bauer, who represented Pilate in 1900 and will 
 have the same part again this year. 
 
 Guido Lang, himself an Oberammergauer, in his 
 interesting " Guide to Oberammergau and its Pas- 
 sion Play, 1900," gives an excellent account of 
 the duties of the Passion Play Committee : 
 "This Committee is formed of the members of the 
 Community Council, the Parish Priest, and six 
 additional citizens, who are chosen, either because 
 they have rendered great service in previous 
 plays, or on account of their exceptional practical 
 knowledge. 
 
 " As the Plays are an undertaking by the com- 
 munity, the Burgomaster is always President of 
 the Committee. The Committee has charge of all 
 preparations for the Play, such as negotiations 
 
 28 
 
The Pkologus, 1900 
 
 Joseph Mayr, who represented the Christus in 1S70-71, 1880, 
 and 1800. Died in 1903. 
 
CHOICE OF CHARACTERS 29 
 
 with the government, arranging the financial 
 matters, the erection of the necessary buildings, 
 and most important, the selection of the various 
 representatives of the different characters. The 
 latter is a very difficult and responsible task, for 
 frequently the Committee is obliged, on account 
 of the advanced age of some of the performers, to 
 take from them r61es which they have filled ac- 
 ceptably and skilfully for years. The decisions 
 are accepted graciously, although the pride of a 
 lifetime is taken from them. At the same time 
 important characters and parts must be entrusted 
 to fresh talent, whose capabilities remain to be 
 proven. It is therefore necessary to exercise the 
 greatest care in the selection, and profound 
 secrecy is laid upon the members of the Com- 
 mittee as to their consultations. Each member 
 delivers to the Committee a written and sealed 
 proposal for the appointments to be filled. After 
 an elaborate discussion of the various propositions 
 made, a secret ballot is taken. This constitutes 
 the preliminary election. After an interval of a 
 few days, a date for the final election is fixed. 
 On that day the members of the Committee attend 
 a special divine service and then assemble in the 
 Council House for the decisive election. Once 
 again the result of the preliminary election is 
 briefly discussed, after which the final vote is 
 given. 
 
30 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 " With feverish interest the entire population 
 await the announcement of the results of the elec- 
 tion, which brings to some unexpected honor ; to 
 others, bitter disappointment. This election re- 
 quires in all about two weeks of hard, unremitting 
 work, and all breathe more freely after it is over. 
 
 " Now the work commences in earnest ; almost 
 every evening practice goes on. First single 
 characters, then groups, then whole scenes are 
 taken, while at the same time the singers and 
 musicians are studying their parts." 
 
 Ludwig Lang, the head of the carving school, 
 is director of the Passion Play this year. In 1900 
 he was the assistant-director of the Play and also 
 had the arrangement of all the tableaux as well 
 as the stage-management. Every one who saw 
 the tableaux in 1900 will remember how beau- 
 tiful they were. They were perfect in composi- 
 tion and coloring. In some of them there were 
 from three to four hundred people, half of whom 
 were children ; yet the arrangement was always 
 natural and graceful, though the figures were so 
 motionless they might have been carved from 
 stone. Ludwig Lang, who has evidently made 
 a thorough study of old paintings and illuminated 
 Bibles, designs all the costumes, which are made 
 under the supervision of his sister, Josefa Lang. 
 These costumes, from the simple garments worn 
 by Christ and his disciples to the rich robes of 
 
CHOICE OF CHARACTERS 31 
 
 the High Priests and Pharisees, are works of art 
 in themselves. 
 
 The present director of the Passion music is 
 Ludwig Wittmann, the schoolmaster. 
 
 In the summer of 1900 Joseph Mayr, the Chris- 
 tus of 1870, '71, '80, and '90, recited the speeches 
 of the Prologus with such splendid dignity that 
 it must have been difficult for the committee to 
 select any one to take his place, but doubtless with 
 their excellent judgment they have chosen in 
 Anton Lechner one who will fill the office worthily. 
 Jakob Rutz, the Choragus of 1890 and 1900, will 
 lead the Chorus again this year. His effective and 
 noble rendering of the solos, many of which are 
 beautiful, gave great pleasure to those who heard 
 him in 1900. 
 
 The strength, dignity, and loveliness of Anton 
 Lang's representation of the Christus ten years 
 ago made his election for the same part this year 
 a certainty. In 1900 he was only twenty-five years 
 old. As his life since has been rich in experience, 
 his Christus of 1910 may surpass even the Am- 
 mergau traditions. At the end of the last Pas- 
 sion summer Anton Lang, Andreas Lang, and 
 Gregor Breitsamter went to Rome and had a 
 private audience with the Pope. The following 
 year Anton Lang made visits in England. I hap- 
 pened to be in England myself that summer, and 
 wrote home one day from Liverpool : 
 
32 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 " To-day I saw M R , the fiancee of 
 
 Anton Lang. When I inquired for the latter, she 
 told me he had been in York on a visit. In an- 
 swer to further inquiries I learned that while he 
 was there he dined with the Archbishop of York, 
 who was most kind to him. One day, when he 
 and the Archbishop were coming out of York 
 Minster, an old woman came and knelt at Anton 
 Lang's feet and kissed his hand, saying, ' At last 
 I have seen the Christ.' 
 
 " The Bishop of Durham also paid him much 
 attention. In London he was taken to the House 
 of Lords, and at the end of the session the mem- 
 bers came down and crowded round him. 
 
 " ' I watched closely,' said M R , ' to see 
 
 if he was being spoiled. But I think he cannot be 
 spoiled.' I too believe that he cannot be spoiled." 
 
 In 1902 they were married. (Fraulein Rutz had 
 been in 1900 that Protecting Spirit of the Chorus, 
 who sang so charmingly the Lament of the Bride 
 of the Canticles.) They have three children, two 
 boys and a girl, who will, as a matter of course, 
 appear in the Play. Some months ago the boys 
 were hoping to be good enough to be chosen to 
 cry " Hosanna." 
 
 In the minds of the Oberammergauers, Mary 
 possesses eternal youth ; consequently a young 
 unmarried woman is always chosen for the part. 
 Anna Plunger, the beautiful Mary of 1900, was 
 
Anna, a Village Child, singini; " Heil dik ' 
 
 Anton Lang and his Family 
 
CHOICE OF CHARACTERS 33 
 
 only nineteen years old. This year Ottilie Zwink, 
 who has shown much talent in the practice plays, 
 will be the Mary. Her photograph shows a lovely, 
 sensitive face. She is the daughter of Johann 
 Zwink, who this year will represent Judas for the 
 third Passion season. His masterly interpretation 
 of the character of Judas is an expression of dra- 
 matic art never to be forgotten. 
 
 Thomas Rendl, whose splendid personation 
 of the part of Peter in 1900 moved every one 
 who witnessed it, will this year appear as the 
 venerable Simon of Bethany. In i860 and 1870 
 he was Joseph of Arimathea and in 1880 and 1890 
 the Pilate. Photographs taken at those periods 
 show his noble face and bearing, and accounts 
 of the time speak of the distinction with which he 
 filled those rdles. Peter Rendl, his son, has been 
 chosen this year for Joseph of Arimathea, his 
 father's former r61e. His sympathetic rendering 
 of the character of John in 1890 and 1900 won 
 much admiration. John will be represented this 
 year by Alfred Bierling. The Caiaphas of 1910 
 will be Gregor Breitsamter, the vigorous and 
 active priest Nathanael of the previous Passion 
 summer. 
 
 Sebastian Lang, whose splendid presence and 
 voice so well fitted him for the vehement and 
 stirring Caiaphas of 1900, will this summer repre- 
 sent Annas. Andreas Lang, the strong Rabbi of 
 
34 pBERAMMERGAU 
 
 1900, and one of the most gifted men in Ober- 
 ammergau, will be the Peter of this year. Wil- 
 helm Rutz has, instead of his former part of Nico- 
 demus, the character of the Rabbi, which he will 
 undoubtedly fill with ability. 
 
 Maria Mayr has been chosen as Mary Mag- 
 dalen, and Victoria Bauer as Martha. Hans Mayr, 
 the son of Josef Mayr, will be the Herod of 1910. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE PRODUCTION 
 
 THE seven months of rehearsals, with all 
 the elaborate and careful preparations, 
 that the Play may be perfect down to the 
 least detail, make it a tremendous undertaking. 
 When added to this there is the care of perhaps 
 three hundred thousand visitors, there is a strain 
 on the nerves and strength of the villagers 
 which only their wonderful poise and composure 
 enable them to endure. As the Passion Play, 
 however, is the supreme object of their lives, they 
 are willing to make any sacrifice for it. This 
 devotion is so strong that as the end of each 
 decade draws near, the few who have made their 
 homes in distant lands cannot resist the longing 
 which draws them back to Oberammergau to 
 take some part in the Play, if it be only to shout 
 " Hosanna " with the crowd. 
 
 Since the presentation of the Passion Play is a 
 religious observance, Sundays and Church festi- 
 vals are chosen for the representations. The 
 promise is made that if at any time there are more 
 
 35 
 
36 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 visitors than the theatre will accommodate, the 
 Play will be repeated the following day. Many 
 times during the summer of 1900 the performers 
 were obliged to give the Play three days in suc- 
 cession, and they gave the third rendering with 
 the same reverence as the first. 
 
 The day before each performance, the visitors 
 begin to come into the Valley and the streets of 
 the little village are soon full of travellers from 
 many parts of the earth. They pour in by rail 
 and by carriage and on foot till the villagers 
 know that there will be too many for even the 
 after-performance. As we wander through the 
 irregular streets we see amid the throngs of 
 visitors stately men with long hair and hear, as 
 they go by, excited whispers : " There is 
 Caiaphas." " Is that John who just passed us ? " 
 " Do you think the one coming is the Christus?" 
 " See that beautiful boy ! I wonder if he takes 
 part in the Play ? " As no wigs or make-ups 
 of any kind are allowed in the Passion Play, a 
 few months before it is given the men and the 
 boys of the village allow their hair to grow. (The 
 day after the last performance of the summer 
 there is a general village hair-cutting. The bar- 
 ber on this occasion literally wades almost knee- 
 deep in wavy locks !) 
 
 At seven o'clock the evening before each 
 performance, the village band marches through 
 
THE PRODUCTION 37 
 
 the streets playing stirring music. At five-thirty 
 the next morning the cannon sounds, and at 
 six the church is filled with visitors and villagers 
 for the celebration of high mass. At half-past 
 seven another cannon-boom announces the open- 
 ing of the doors of the Passion theatre. The 
 streets are immediately filled with hurrying, excited 
 people. As there is no occasion for haste, we 
 will let the crowd slip by while we enjoy the fresh, 
 pure morning air. The bright sunshine, the 
 blue sky, the green meadows, and the clear 
 rugged outlines of the mountains are a fitting 
 setting for the scenes we are about to witness. 
 
 In the few moments before the play begins we 
 have an opportunity to examine the stage. We 
 have before us the broad proscenium, which has 
 no roof, thus giving it a background of sky and 
 mountain. At the rear of the proscenium in the 
 centre is a small covered stage with curtains on 
 which are painted Michel Angelo's Moses, and 
 the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. This stage is 
 used for the tableaux and some of the small though 
 important scenes. Two arches, through which are 
 seen streets of Jerusalem winding away in the 
 distance, join this central stage. On the right is 
 the Palace of Annas, on the left the Palace of 
 Pilate. At each side of the proscenium is a 
 covered colonnade through which the Chorus of 
 Schutzgeister, or Protecting Spirits, comes out. 
 
38 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 The office of the Chorus is similar to that of the 
 Greek Chorus, to explain and to comment on the 
 scenes that are about to take place. 
 
 The Passion Play, which begins with the 
 Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem and 
 ends with the Resurrection and Ascension, has 
 seventeen acts, each one of which is preceded by 
 one or two tableaux, representing scenes from the 
 Old Testament, foreshadowing the action from 
 the Gospel narrative which follows. Father Dai- 
 senberger explains the relation of the tableaux to 
 the action of the Play, in a little book published 
 at Oberammergau, as follows : " Our object is to 
 represent the story of Christ's Passion, not by a 
 mere statement of facts, but in its connection with 
 the types and figures and prophecies of the Old 
 Testament. By this manner of treatment an ad- 
 ditional strong light will be cast upon the sacred 
 narrative ; and the thoughtful spectator will be 
 able to realize the grand truth that Jesus Christ, 
 the Son of God, made man for our salvation, is 
 the central figure of the inspired volumes." The 
 relation of these types or tableaux to the Play is 
 explained by the Chorus of Protecting Spirits and 
 also by the Prologus, who recites melodramatic 
 verses embodying the thought given in song by 
 the Chorus. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 
 
 NAMES OF THE PLAYERS 
 
 39 
 
 igio 
 
 Christus Anton Lang .... 
 
 Mary Ottilie Zwink . . . 
 
 Peter Andreas Lang . . . 
 
 John Albrecht Bierling . , 
 
 Judas ....... yohann Zwink . . . 
 
 Caiaphas Gregor Breitsamter . 
 
 Annas Sebastian Lang . . 
 
 Pilate Sebastian Bauer , . 
 
 Nathanael Rupert Breitsamter . 
 
 Rabbi Wilhelm Rutz . . . 
 
 Joseph of Arimathea . Peter Rendl .... 
 Nicodemus ... . Wilhelm Lang . . . 
 Simon of Bethany . . 7'Aomas Rendl . . . 
 Mary Magdalen . . . Maria Mayr .... 
 
 Martha Victoria Bauer . 
 
 Lazarus Richard Lang . . . 
 
 Herod Hans Mayr .... 
 
 Nine Remaining Disciples : 
 
 James Mathias Dedler . . . 
 
 Matthew .... Josef Albrecht . . . 
 
 Philip . . . . Andreas Braun . . . 
 
 Bartholomew . . . Balthasar Keller , , 
 
 Thomas Anton Mayr .... 
 
 Andrew ... . Alois Gerald . . . 
 
 James, the Less . . Benedict Klucker . 
 
 Thaddeus Josef Kurz . ... 
 
 Simon Martin Hohenleitner 
 
 Simon of Cyrene . Andreas Kratz 
 Roman Captain . . . Anton Hauser . . . 
 
 Director of the Play . Ludzoig Lang . . . 
 Ass't. Director of Play Hans Mayr .... 
 Leader of Chorus . . Jakob Rutz .... 
 
 Prologus Anton Lechner . . . 
 
 Business Manager . . Franz Rutz .... 
 
 tgoo 
 
 . Anton Lang, 
 . Anna Plunger. 
 . Thomas Rendl. 
 . Peter Rendl. 
 , Johann Zwink. 
 . Sebastian Lang. 
 
 Martin Oppenrieder, 
 . Sebastian Bauer. 
 
 Gregor Breitsamter. 
 , Andreas Lang. 
 . Andreas Braun. 
 . Wilhelm Rutz. 
 . Franz Steinbacher. 
 . Bertha Wolf. 
 , Maria Schwalb. 
 , Otto Lang, 
 , Rochus Lang. 
 
 , Mathias Dedler. 
 . Josef Albrecht. 
 , Tobias Zwink. 
 
 Josef Rutz. 
 , Anton Mayr. 
 
 Alois Gerold. 
 
 Benedict Klucker. 
 , Josef Kurz. 
 
 Martin Hohenleitner. 
 
 Jakob Bierling. 
 . Anton Bartl. 
 
 . Johann Lang. 
 . Ludwig Lang. 
 . Jakob Rutz. 
 Josef Mayr. 
 , Franz Rutz. 
 
 There are in all five hundred and seventy-four 
 performers, seventy-six musicians, and fifty others 
 connected with the Play, about seven hundred in 
 all. 
 
40 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 DAYS OF THE REPRESENTATIONS 
 
 May II, l6, 22, 29. 
 June 5, 12, 19, 24, 26, 29. 
 July 3, 10, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31. 
 August 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31. 
 September 4, 8, 11, 18, 25. 
 
 Certain regulations for 1900 will probably be 
 little changed in 19 10. The principal ones are : 
 
 1. To wear only the lowest possible head 
 coverings or none at all. 
 
 2. Demonstrations of any kind are prohibited, 
 as applause and exclamations mar the solemnity 
 of the performance. 
 
 3. No one is permitted to stand during the 
 scenes, and no one will be allowed to leave the 
 auditorium from the commencement of the scene 
 of the crucifixion until the end of the Play. 
 
 4. No cameras of any description will be ad- 
 mitted ; any infraction of this rule will bring 
 prosecution. 
 
 5. In the theatre itself and for a distance of 
 twenty metres (about sixty-five feet) from the 
 theatre, smoking is strictly prohibited. 
 
 Opera glasses will be found of great service. 
 
 (Coming in late, objectionable anywhere, is at 
 the Passion Play almost a sacrilege, in view of the 
 supreme solemnity of what it interrupts, both on 
 the stage and in the minds of devout spectators.) 
 
House of Anton Lang 
 
 Passion Theatre, i,00KiNa from Stage 
 
 The paintings on the wall in the rear, over the arch, show, at left, the 
 Passion Play in UV-'A ; at right, the old Monastery of Ettal, burned 
 in 1744. 
 
THE PASSION PLAY 
 
 PRELUDE 
 
 Chorus of Protecting Spirits. The 
 Choragus intones. 
 
 Tableau i. Adam and Eve driven from Para- 
 dise. Symbolic of the fall of man. 
 
 Prologus 
 Greetings to you all who have come from far 
 and near to witness the sufferings and death of 
 Christ. All here are united in love, in memory of 
 the One who for us suffered bitterest death. Our 
 tenderest thoughts and love turn to Him. The 
 hour for the fulfilment of our holy vow has now 
 come ; join your prayers with ours we beseech 
 you. 
 
 Tableau 2. The adoration of the cross. Sym- 
 bolic of the redemption of man. 
 
 FIRST DIVISION 
 From Chris fs entry into Jerusalem to the arrest in the 
 Garden of Gethsf.mane. 
 
 41 
 
42 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Representation I 
 Action. Jesus enters Jerusalem amid the loud 
 
 rejoicings of the people, drives the buyers and 
 
 sellers from theTemple, goes again to Bethany. 
 Scene i. Jesus enters Jerusalem. 
 Scene 2. Jesus drives the merchants from the 
 
 Temple and answers the questions of the 
 
 Pharisees. 
 Scene 3. The Priest Nathanael incites the people 
 
 against Jesus. 
 Scene 4. Nathanael promises revenge to the 
 
 merchants. 
 
 At eight o'clock the cannon sounds, and imme- 
 diately soft, beautiful strains come from the orches- 
 tra. The curtain divides, part rises and part 
 sinks beneath the stage, disclosing another curtain 
 of rich hues. If we could look beyond this drapery 
 we should see all the performers, about six hun- 
 dred, saying the Lord's Prayer together. 
 
 Before the opening music ceases the Protecting 
 Spirits, thirty-four in number, walk slowly and 
 with impressive dignity from the colonnades to 
 the stage. They form a beautiful line of color as 
 they stand there, both men and women wearing 
 golden crowns and clad in white tunics and flow- 
 ing mantles of different hues. The Prologus in 
 a white robe richly embroidered in gold stands in 
 the centre. Josef Mayr, the Prologus of 1900, 
 
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THE PRODUCTION 43 
 
 with his tall, majestic figure and stately mode of 
 utterance made the office most impressive. The 
 Choragus opens the Play by an intoned explana- 
 tion of the object of the representation, to show 
 " how the human race became reconciled to God 
 through the blood of His only-begotten Son," the 
 two tableaux being symbolic of the fall and the 
 redemption of man. The words of greeting from 
 the Prologus indicate the spirit in which the Play 
 is given. After the Chorus explain the second 
 tableau they leave the stage with solemn and dig- 
 nified mien. 
 
 Joyful cries are heard in the distance. As they 
 come nearer and grow louder they are accom- 
 panied by shouts of " Hosanna I " as from a great 
 multitude of people. Soon they appear ever in- 
 creasing in number winding down the slope from 
 the Mount of Olives, children waving palm 
 branches, men and women in oriental costumes of 
 beautiful soft colors. They are all rejoicing and 
 singing songs of praise. As they look back sing- 
 ing " Heil dir ! Heil dir! O David' s Sohn / " 
 " Hail to thee ! hail to thee 1 O Son of David," — 
 in their midst, riding an ass and surrounded by 
 his Disciples, comes the familiar form of the 
 Christus. His robe is of soft heliotrope and crim- 
 son. His face and figure are typical, express- 
 ing strength and gentleness. As he advances 
 through the crowd his hand is raised as in bless- 
 
44 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 ing. While the happy throng sing their song of 
 praise the Christus dismounts so gently we 
 scarcely perceive the motion. As the crowd sep- 
 arate, he approaches the Temple, in the courts of 
 which the money-changers and merchants are 
 sitting. When he sees them he stops in astonish- 
 ment, then advances with dignity and in a tone 
 of sadness and indignation addresses them: 
 " What see I here ? Is my Father's house thus 
 dishonored ? Is this the house of God or is it a 
 market-place? How can strangers, who come 
 from the land of the heathen, worship God amid 
 a throng of money-changers? And you priests, 
 guardians of the Temple, you can look on this 
 abomination and endure it ! Woe be unto you ! 
 He who searches the heart knows why you en- 
 courage such disorder." 
 
 The crowd listen in breathless silence. The 
 merchants ask, "Who is this man?" " He is the 
 great prophet from Nazareth in Galilee," answer 
 the people as with a single voice. 
 
 As the Christus goes toward the merchants, 
 ordering them from the Temple, the Pharisees 
 question his authority. He replies : " There is 
 room enough for your business outside the 
 Temple. ' My house,' says the Lord, ' shall be 
 called a House of Prayer for all the nations,' but 
 you have made it a den of robbers. Away with 
 all this ! " With a quick, vigorous movement he 
 
The Christus, IDOO, 1910 
 Autou Lang was twenty-five years old when he first enacted the part. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 45 
 
 overturns the money-tables ; he also releases the 
 doves, which fly away to their homes. As the 
 merchants begin their lamentations, he seizes a 
 rope, lying near, of which he makes a scourge of 
 cords, and holding it on high, drives the merchants 
 from the Temple, — more, however, by the digni- 
 fied authority of his manner than by any actual 
 motion against them. 
 
 After answering the remonstrances and ques- 
 tions of the Pharisees, he goes into the Temple, 
 followed by many of the people. The priests 
 intercept those that remain and call upon them to 
 be true to the law of Moses and the prophets. 
 These are joined by the merchants, who come 
 back calling for revenge. This is promised them 
 by the Pharisees, who talk to the people with such 
 insistence that with the fickleness of a great crowd 
 they, who a few moments before were shouting, 
 " Hosanna to the Son of David ! " go off with the 
 excited merchants, crying: "Moses is our prophet, 
 our lawgiver 1 Away with all others 1 " 
 
 Representation II 
 
 The Plot of the High Council 
 
 Tableau. The sons of Jacob resolve to destroy 
 their younger brother, Joseph. Genesis 
 xxxvii. 18. The foreshadowing of the plot 
 of the Sanhedrim against Christ. 
 
46 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Action. The high priests and scribes take council 
 how to get Jesus into their power. Meeting 
 of the Sanhedrim, or High Council. 
 
 Scene i. The High Council resolve on the 
 seizure of Christ. 
 
 Scene 2. Caiaphas encourages the High Coun- 
 cil. 
 
 Scene 3. Nathanael brings in the traders. 
 
 Scene 4. Annas blesses the High Council. 
 
 As the curtain parts we see the Jewish Sanhe- 
 drim, an assembly of the priests of the Synagogue. 
 They are all clad in rich vestments, those of the 
 presiding high priest, Caiaphas, being white, em- 
 broidered with gold. On his head he wears a 
 white jewelled mitre and on his breast a square 
 shield or breast-plate containing twelve precious 
 stones with the names of the twelve tribes of 
 Israel. He opens the discussion with vehemence. 
 Some of the priests recount the things they have 
 all suffered at Christ's hands : his triumphal entry 
 into Jerusalem ; the driving of the merchants 
 from the Temple ; his disregard of Moses and the 
 prophets. They tell how the people turn from 
 them and run after him, and declare that their 
 only safeguard is to imprison him ; but they con- 
 clude that it would be dangerous to try to seize 
 him when he is surrounded by people. After de- 
 liberating how to get him into their power, they 
 
THE PRODUCTION 47 
 
 decide to offer a reward to the merchants, who 
 are now brought in from the outer court where 
 they have been waiting to present their grievances 
 to the High Council. They tell how the Galilean 
 has driven them with a scourge, overturned their 
 money-tables, and spilled their oil, and they de- 
 mand satisfaction. This is promised them by the 
 Sanhedrim. They eagerly agree to find out 
 Christ's nightly stopping-place, and one of them 
 says he knows a follower of Jesus who he 
 thinks, for a sufficient reward, would betray his 
 Master. 
 
 Annas, another high priest, enjoins strict silence, 
 which the traders swear to keep. Then Caiaphas 
 says, " My friends, if you wish fully to satisfy your 
 feeling of revenge, you will spare no pains in en- 
 kindling in others the same holy zeal that inspires 
 you." They reply that they will not rest till the 
 whole people are turned against Jesus, and go 
 out, crying, " Our life for the law of Moses and 
 the Holy Sanhedrim." 
 
 Representation III 
 
 The Farewell at Bethany 
 
 Tableau i. The young Tobias taking leave of 
 his parents before starting on a journey. 
 Tobias v. 32. 
 
48 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Tableau 2. The Bride of the Canticles lament- 
 ing the absent bridegroom. Song of Solo- 
 mon vi. 
 
 Both tableaux foreshadow the parting at 
 Bethany. 
 
 Action. Christ at Bethany is anointed by Mary 
 Magdalen, whereupon Judas grumbles. 
 Christ says farewell to his Mother and to 
 the friends at Bethany. 
 
 Scene i. Christ and his Disciples approach 
 Bethany, 
 
 Scene 2. Christ welcomed by Simon, Lazarus, 
 Martha and Mary Magdalen. 
 
 Scene 3. A room in Simon's house. Mary 
 anoints the feet of Christ. 
 
 Scene 4. Christ bids farewell to the friends at 
 Bethany. 
 
 Scene 5. Christ's parting from his Mother. 
 
 At this time Jesus was in the habit of leaving 
 the crowded city at sunset. He often went with his 
 Disciples to Bethany, to Simon, the leper, and also 
 Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. There 
 he stayed until morning and then returned to Je- 
 rusalem. 
 
 We see him and his followers approaching 
 Bethany. Jesus says to them : -" You know, dear 
 Disciples, that the feast of the Passover will take 
 place after two days. Therefore let us make a 
 
Maky, 1900 
 Anna Flunger, now married. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 49 
 
 last visit to our friends in Betiiany and afterward 
 go to Jerusalem, where in these last days all will 
 be fulfilled which has been written by the prophets 
 concerning the Son of Man." He foretells the 
 manner of his death, but the Disciples, believing 
 that the Messiah will remain forever, cannot grasp 
 the meaning of his words. 
 
 As they draw near the village, their friends 
 come out to meet them. Simon hastens forward. 
 " Best of teachers, welcome. What joy that thou 
 hast not scorned my invitation and dost honor my 
 house with thy presence ! My friends, welcome to 
 you all." After greetings from the others, they all 
 go in. As they sit at table, Mary Magdalen, 
 whom the Oberammergauers make identical with 
 Mary the sister of Martha, anoints Christ's feet 
 with precious ointment, saying in a pleading tone 
 " Rabbi." Christ answers tenderly and compas- 
 sionately, " Mary." The Disciples comment in- 
 dignantly and Judas breaks out into open re- 
 monstrance, saying that the ointment could have 
 been sold and the money given to the poor. 
 " Let her alone," says Jesus, as they begin to find 
 fault with her; "why are you troubling her? 
 This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me. 
 You always have the poor with you and whenever 
 you wish you can do good to them ; but you will 
 not always have me. She has done what she 
 could ; she has perfumed my body beforehand for 
 
50 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 my burial. And I tell you, wherever in the whole 
 world the Good News is proclaimed, what this 
 woman has done will be told in memory of 
 her." 
 
 He thanks Simon for his hospitality, and as 
 they all accompany him he turns and says to 
 Simon and the others : " Remain here, dear 
 friends. Once more farewell ! Dear tranquil 
 Bethany, I shall never more linger in thy peaceful 
 valley ! " As he says " Farewell," and turns to go, 
 he meets Mary and her companions. The scene 
 which follows, the parting between Jesus and his 
 Mother, is deeply touching. She hastens to her 
 son, saying : " Jesus ! dearest Son ! With long- 
 ing have I hastened with my friends to see thee 
 once more before thou goest, ah ! " 
 
 Jesus tells her that he is going to Jerusalem, 
 that he is ready to complete the sacrifice which 
 the Father demands from him. Her intuition tells 
 her what that sacrifice will be, and she begs to be 
 allowed to go to Jerusalem with him. He tells 
 her that after two days she may come with the 
 friends at Bethany, to whose care he commends 
 her in the meantime. Mary is dressed, as in old 
 paintings of the Madonna, in light blue and soft 
 old rose, with a white head drapery. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 51 
 
 Representation IV 
 
 The Last Going to Jerusalem 
 
 Tableau. King Ahasuerus rejects Vashti and 
 exalts Esther. Esther i., ii. Vashti's fate 
 foreshadows that of the Synagogue, 
 
 Action. Christ returns with his Disciples to Je- 
 rusalem, weeps over the city. He sends two 
 of the Disciples ahead to prepare the Pass- 
 over lamb. Judas conceives the thought of 
 betraying his Master. 
 
 Scene i. Christ laments over Jerusalem, fore- 
 tells his own death, sends Peter and John on 
 into the city to prepare the Passover lamb. 
 
 Scene 2. Judas asks Jesus to provide for the 
 Disciples before he leaves them. 
 
 Scene 3. Judas, remaining behind, decides to 
 leave his Master. 
 
 Scene 4. Dathan, the Temple merchant, ap- 
 proaches Judas. 
 
 Scene 5. The other traders finish the bribery. 
 Judas agrees to betray Christ. 
 
 Scene 6. Judas, alone, wrestles with his con- 
 science. 
 
 Scene 7. Peter and John at the house of Mark. 
 
 As the little band approaches Jerusalem, Jesus 
 weeps over the fate of the proud city. The Dis- 
 ciples ask what that fate will be and beg him not 
 
52 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 to go there. After answering them Christ sends 
 Peter and John ahead with instructions to follow 
 a man whom they will meet carrying a jug of 
 water, and to say to the goodman of the house 
 that he enters, " The Master saith, ' Where is the 
 guest-chamber, where I shall eat the Passover 
 with my Disciples ? ' " Judas, who is still disturbed 
 over Mary Magdalen's waste of the three hundred 
 pence, showing the Master the empty purse, urges 
 him, if he is going to leave the Disciples, to make 
 some provision for them. " O Judas," replies 
 Jesus, " trouble not thyself more than is needful," 
 and turning away he and the others go on to the 
 city. 
 
 Judas remains behind and in an agitated 
 soliloquy reveals his struggles of mind. He has 
 just decided to break with his Master when 
 he is found by Dathan and the other Temple 
 merchants. After a time he agrees for a large re- 
 ward to reveal Christ's nightly abiding-place. 
 When the traders leave, he once more tries to jus- 
 tify his course to himself, but he cannot forget his 
 Master's goodness to him. He tries to quiet his 
 uneasy conscience by the hope that Jesus will use 
 his miraculous powers to free himself from his 
 enemies. Judas decides, in this event, to throw 
 himself at his Master's feet for forgiveness. " I 
 have never known him to drive the penitent from 
 him." 
 
Leader of the Chorus, 1890, 1900, I'JlO 
 Jakob Rutz, father of Frau Anton Lang. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 53 
 
 The last scene shows John and Peter meeting 
 Baruch with the pitcher and entering the house of 
 Mark. 
 
 Representation V 
 
 The Lord's Supper 
 
 Tableau i. The Lord sends manna to the Israel- 
 ites in the wilderness. Exodus xvi. 
 
 Tableau 2. The grapes brought by the spies 
 from Canaan. Numbers xviii. 
 Both tableaux foreshadow the Last Supper. 
 
 Action. Jesus celebrates with his Disciples the 
 last Passover and institutes the Supper for a 
 new covenant in his memory. 
 
 Scene i. Christ and the Twelve around a table 
 in the house of Mark. Christ washes the feet 
 of the Disciples. He institutes the sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper. 
 
 Scene 2. When Peter swears his loyalty, Jesus 
 foretells his denial. 
 
 The Tableau " Manna in the Wilderness " is one 
 of the most beautiful in the whole Passion Play. 
 It includes more than four hundred people, nearly 
 one-half of them being children. They are ar- 
 ranged with great artistic skill, the children in the 
 foreground. Every pose is natural. All eyes and 
 
54 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 hands are turned toward the manna, which falls 
 continuously from Heaven. 
 
 After the chorus have left the stage the curtains 
 part to show Christ and his Disciples around the 
 table in the house of Mark. Christ says : "With 
 longing have I wished to eat this Passover with 
 you before I suffer, for I say to you from this time 
 I shall not eat again until it is fulfilled in the 
 Kingdom of God." Then taking the cup he con- 
 tinues, " Father, I thank thee for this drink of the 
 vine." After drinking and handing it to the dis- 
 ciples, he adds, " Take this and share it among 
 you, for I say to you I will not drink of the fruit 
 of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come." 
 His companions, interpreting him in an earthly 
 sense, ask which of them shall be first in that King- 
 dom. In answer Christ asks the host for water 
 and a towel, then washes the feet of the Disciples. 
 It is done with entire self-forgetfulness and sim- 
 plicity. The only sound that breaks the almost 
 breathless silence is the singing of two verses of a 
 beautiful hymn by the invisible chorus of angels. 
 He blesses the bread and puts a morsel into the 
 mouth of each of the Disciples. He then blesses 
 the wine, and he passes it to each of the Twelve, 
 who, with the exception of Judas, receive it with 
 lowered eyes and clasped hands. Not only they, 
 but also the vast assembly of onlookers, seem to 
 be taking part in that solemn service. As Dean 
 
THE PRODUCTION 55 
 
 Stanley wrote, " It is probable that a more im- 
 pressive communion service, impressive from its 
 simplicity, has never been witnessed since the first 
 great inauguration." Many of the audience sit 
 with tears pouring down their faces, so reverently 
 and tenderly and with such gentle dignity is it all 
 portrayed. 
 
 When Christ says, " The hand of my betrayer 
 is with me at the table," they are all startled. As 
 soon as Judas discovers that Christ knows his 
 guilt, he hurries from the room. When Judas 
 has gone, Jesus says, " Now the Son of Man 
 has been exalted and God has been exalted 
 through him : and God will exalt him with him- 
 self — yes, he will exalt him forthwith. My 
 children, I am to be with you but a little longer." 
 
 In answer to Peter's assertion that he will lay 
 down his life for him, Jesus replies, " In truth I 
 tell you the cock will not crow twice till you have 
 denied me three times." Christ comes forward 
 and remains in deep thought, with his face 
 turned toward Heaven ; turning, and seeing the 
 troubled look on the faces of his followers, he 
 says : " Do not let your hearts be troubled ; be- 
 lieve in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's 
 home there are many dwellings and I am going 
 to prepare a place for you. I shall return and 
 take you to be with me that you may be where I 
 am. Peace be with you. My own peace I give 
 
56 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 to you.- I do not give to you as the world gives. 
 Keep my command. This is my command, that 
 you love one another as I have loved you. I shall 
 not talk with you much more, for the spirit that 
 is ruling the world is coming that the world may 
 see that I lovg the Father and that I do as the 
 Father commands me. Come, let us be going." 
 
 Representation VI 
 
 The Betrayer 
 
 Tableau. The sons of Jacob sell their brother 
 
 for twenty pieces of silver. Genesis xxxvii. 
 
 29. 
 Action. Judas comes to the Sanhedrim, and 
 
 promises for thirty pieces of silver to deliver 
 
 his Master into the hands of the Pharisees. 
 
 They resolve on the death of Christ. 
 Scene i. The Sanhedrim. Caiaphas orders 
 
 Judas to be brought in. 
 Scene 2. Judas receives the price of betrayal. 
 Scene 3. After Judas goes out, the Council 
 
 CQiidemns Christ to death. 
 Scene 4. The members of the Council decide to 
 
 go through the form of a trial. 
 
 Caiaphas, presiding in a meeting of the San- 
 hedrim, tells the priests and Pharisees that the 
 
02 
 
 B 
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 K 
 H 
 
THE PRODUCTION 57 
 
 zealous Israelite has found a follower of the 
 Galilean, who will lead them to him by night. 
 They send for Judas, who, in answer to the ques- 
 tions of the Pharisees, says that his friendship for 
 his Master has cooled. He then asks what re- 
 ward they will give him for leading them to 
 Christ. As the Rabbi gives him the thirty pieces 
 of silver, he counts them, testing each piece. 
 The High Council promises him an armed band 
 to surround Jesus and his followers. 
 
 After he has gone out there is a stormy dis- 
 cussion in the Sanhedrim. The priests condemn 
 Jesus to death against the vehement protests of 
 Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who finally 
 leave the Council, swearing that they will not 
 remain where the innocent are condemned. The 
 Council decides that it will be necessary to sit in 
 formal judgment on " this man " and to provide 
 witnesses, but that the sentence must be carried 
 out at any cost. 
 
 Representation VII 
 
 Christ on the Mount of Olives 
 
 Tableau i. Adam condemned to earn his bread 
 by the sweat of his brow. Genesis iii. 19. 
 Typical of Christ's bloody sweat. 
 
 Tableau 2. Joab, under the pretext of giving 
 Amasa a friendly kiss, thrusts his sword 
 
58 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 through Amasa's body. 2 Samuel xx. 9. 
 
 The treachery of Judas. 
 Action. Christ suffers bitter agony, is betrayed 
 
 by Judas with a kiss, is seized by the soldiers 
 
 and led away. 
 Scene i. Judas appears in the neighborhood 
 
 of the Mount of Olives, accompanied by 
 
 priests and soldiers. 
 Scene 2. Christ prays in the Garden of Geth- 
 
 semane. 
 Scene 3. An angel comforts him. 
 Scene 4. Judas betrays his Master with a kiss. 
 
 Judas, four priests, the merchants, the armed 
 band, and a crowd of people pass by on their 
 way to the Mount of Olives. Judas tells them to 
 observe the one whom he kisses, for that will be 
 the Master. 
 
 Christ and the Twelve now enter the Garden 
 of Gethsemane. The Master takes Peter, John, 
 and James apart, saying : " My soul is exceeding 
 sorrowful even unto death. Tarry ye here and 
 watch with me." Going a little farther he falls 
 on his face and prays, " O my Father, if it be 
 possible let this cup pass from me : nevertheless . 
 not my will but thine be done." He comes back 
 to the three, and finding them asleep asks them 
 if they cannot watch one hour. As they promise 
 that they will pray and watch, he looks at them 
 
.SCHUTZOEIST, (_)NE OF THE ChoBUS OF PrOTECTINO SPIRITS 
 
 Mathildc Eutz, now wife of Anton Lang. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 59 
 
 tenderly, saying : " The spirit indeed is willing, 
 but the flesh is weak." He goes away and prays 
 again, and once more he finds them sleeping. 
 While he prays a third time in anguish, weighed 
 down by the sins of the world, a shining angel 
 appears, and gives him a message of comfort and 
 courage from the Father. 
 
 As he comes to the sleeping three, the clash 
 of arms is heard and the Disciples hastily gather 
 round their Master. They see a crowd approach- 
 ing. Judas comes forward out of the darkness 
 and, kissing Jesus, says, " Hail, Master 1 " The 
 latter replies : " Friend, wherefore art thou come ? 
 Dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss ? " and 
 turning to the crowd, " Whom seek you ? " In 
 answer to their cry, " Jesus of Nazareth," he says, 
 " I am he." The soldiers fall to the ground cry- 
 ing, " Woe unto us, what is this ? " Christ bids 
 them " Arise, have no fear." As they come for- 
 ward, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear 
 of Malchus. After telling his followers to desist, 
 Christ touches the ear of Malchus and heals it. 
 
 While Christ is being bound by the soldiers, his 
 Disciples disappear in the crowd. Up to this time 
 we have always seen him attended by the Twelve. 
 Now one of them has given him over to his ene- 
 mies and the others have deserted him. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE PRODUCTION {Continued) 
 
 NOW at noontime comes a pause of two 
 hours. At the end of the intermission 
 another warning boom of the cannon 
 announces the continuance of the Play. 
 
 SECOND DIVISION 
 
 From the Arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to the 
 Sentence by Pilate. 
 
 Representation VIII 
 
 Jesus before Annas 
 
 Tableau. Micaiah, the prophet, receives a blow 
 
 on the cheek because he reveals the truth to 
 
 King Ahab. i Kzjigs xxii. 24. 
 Action. Jesus is brought before Annas and is 
 
 struck in the face. 
 Scene i. Annas in great excitement awaits the 
 
 arrival of Jesus at his palace. 
 Scene 2. Judas is filled with horror to learn 
 
 that Jesus has been condemned to death. 
 60 
 
a 
 
 ■< 
 
 CO 
 a 
 
THE PRODUCTION 6i 
 
 Scene 3. Jesus before Annas receives a blow on 
 
 the cheek. - 
 
 Scene 4. The soldiers lead Jesus away, making 
 
 mockery of him. 
 Scene 5. Peter and John seeking tidings of the 
 
 Master. 
 
 After the Protecting Spirits have left the stage, 
 we see Annas on the balcony of his palace im- 
 patiently awaiting the news of the capture of Jesus. 
 He sends his servants to find out what has 
 taken place. 
 
 Soon the four priests and Judas come, and when 
 Annas learns that Christ has been seized, he says 
 to Judas : " Judas, thy name shall have an honor- 
 able place in our annals. Before the feast shall 
 the Galilean die." " Die ? " says Judas, greatly 
 moved. " I did not deliver him to you for that." 
 He hastens away, overcome with bitter remorse. 
 
 Christ is now led to the balcony of Annas, who 
 questions him about his teachings. Jesus remains 
 for some time silent, finallysaying : " I have always 
 taught openly in the synagogue and the temple. 
 Why do you ask me ? Ask those who have heard 
 me. They know what I have said." At this 
 Balbus strikes him in the face and he is led 
 away. 
 
 Peter and John approach the house, greatly dis- 
 turbed at not finding their Master. 
 
62 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Representation IX 
 
 Jesus before Caiaphas 
 
 Tableau i. The innocent Naboth is condemned 
 to death by false witnesses, i Kings xxi. 
 
 13- 
 Tableau 2. Job endures many insults from his 
 
 wife and his friends. Job ii. 9. 
 Action. Christ is led to Caiaphas, is examined by 
 
 him and pronounced worthy of death, is de- 
 nied by Peter, is mocked and abused by the 
 
 servants. 
 Scene i. The soldiers with rough jokes lead 
 
 Christ through the streets. 
 Scene 2. Bedroom of Caiaphas. Caiaphas, 
 
 priests, and Pharisees. 
 Scene 3. False witnesses testifying against 
 
 Christ. Caiaphas condemns him to death. 
 Scene 4. Caiaphas orders a meeting of the 
 
 High Council. 
 Scene 5. Judas, driven up and down by anguish, 
 
 comes to the house of Caiaphas. 
 Scene 6. The Hall of the Palace of Caiaphas. 
 
 Peter's denial. 
 Scene 7. Peter's repentance. 
 Scene 8. The soldiers mock Christ. 
 
 We hear shouts and laughter. A crowd of 
 people come down the street surrounding the 
 
THE PRODUCTION 63 
 
 noble figure of Clirist, who is driven by the insult- 
 ing, mocking soldiers to the house of Caiaphas. 
 An assembly of priests and Pharisees gathered 
 there are excitedly preparing for a semblance of a 
 trial. When Christ is brought in, the false wit- 
 nesses come forward and testify against him. 
 When they have finished Caiaphas questions 
 Jesus, who remains silent until finally asked, " Art 
 thou the Messiah, the Son of the living God?" 
 He replies : " Thou hast said it and I am. Never- 
 theless I say unto you : hereafter ye shall see the 
 Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God in 
 power and coming in the clouds of the heaven." 
 Caiaphas rends his garment in wrath and indigna- 
 tion at the blasphemy of these words and asks : 
 " What further need of witnesses ? Ye have heard 
 his blasphemy. What think ye ? " With one ac- 
 cord they reply, " He is worthy of death." 
 
 They agree to have the sentence confirmed by 
 the Sanhedrim in the morning and then to obtain 
 Pilate's permission to carry it out. 
 
 Judas approaches the palace of Annas. " I am 
 driven about by anxious forebodings 1 The words 
 of Annas, ' He must die ' — oh, these words pursue 
 me and torment me wherever I go ! — No ! no ! 
 they would not push it as far as that. It would be 
 horrible — horrible, — if they should put my Master 
 to death — and I — I — guilty of it ! — No ! It can- 
 not go as far as that. They have no reason 
 
64 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 for it. In the house of Caiaphas here 1 can ask 
 his fate." 
 
 The soldiers have been waiting in a hall of the 
 palace. Peter comes in, ostensibly to warm him- 
 self, but really to obtain news of his Master. One 
 of the servants recognizes him and asks him if he 
 is not one of the disciples of the Man of Galilee. 
 Then follow the three denials, and Peter, recalling 
 with grief the words of his Master at the Last 
 Supper, is about to go away when Christ is 
 brought in. The latter looks with sorrow at 
 Peter, who holds out his hands appealingly, and 
 as the Master is led away by the soldiers, covers 
 his face. He goes out into the street weeping 
 bitterly. " O dearest Master ! How far have I 
 fallen ! I, weak, miserable man ! I have denied 
 thee, three times denied thee, my best friend and 
 teacher, for whom I promised to go even unto 
 death!" But he recalls the compassionate look 
 his Master gave him and feels that he will be 
 forgiven. He goes away, saying, "The whole 
 love of my heart shall from this moment belong to 
 thee and bind me close to thee, and nothing shall 
 ever have the power to separate me from thee." 
 As Peter disappears, John comes seeking him. 
 
 We now see Christ in prison bound and 
 mocked and buffeted by the soldiers. He main- 
 tains his lofty dignity throughout the harrowing 
 scene. 
 
Peter, 1900 
 As represented by Thomas Rendl, who in 1910 is " Simon of Bethany. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 65 
 
 Representation X 
 
 The Despair of Judas 
 
 Tableau. Cain, tortured by the pangs of con- 
 science, wanders up and down the earth. 
 Genesis iv. 10-17. 
 
 Action. The High Council confirms the death 
 sentence already pronounced on Christ. 
 Judas, full of repentance, comes to the Coun- 
 cil, throws down the thirty pieces of silver, 
 and driven by despair goes away and hangs 
 himself. 
 
 Scene i. Judas, driven to and fro by ever-in- 
 creasing anguish of spirit. 
 
 Scene 2. A meeting of the High Council. 
 
 Scene 3. Judas upbraids the Council and casts 
 the money at their feet. 
 
 Scene 4. The Council decide to buy the potter's 
 field with the money. 
 
 Scene 5. Christ before the Council. 
 
 Scene 6. The three messengers of the Council 
 before the House of Pilate. 
 
 Scene 7. The end of Judas. 
 
 Judas appears wrestling with the pangs of re- 
 morse and despair, and says : " So has my an- 
 guished foreboding become a horrible certainty. 
 Caiaphas has condemned the Master to death and 
 the Council has agreed to the sentence. It is 
 
66 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 over ; — no hope of a pardon. If the Master had 
 wished to save himself, he would have made his 
 power felt a second time in the Garden of Geth- 
 semane. As he did not do it then, he will never 
 do it. What can I do for him — I, the unhappy 
 one, who have delivered him over into their 
 hands ? " He goes ofE, saying, " O, the pains of 
 hell torture my inmost soul ! " 
 
 As the Sanhedrim sit making further plans, 
 Judas rushes in and asks: "Is it true? Have 
 you condemned my Master to death ? " A Rabbi 
 speaks : " Why do you thrust yourself uncalled 
 into this assembly ? Out from here ! We will 
 call you when we need you." Judas insists : " I 
 must know it! Have you sentenced him?" 
 " He must die," they all answer. Judas upbraids 
 the Sanhedrim and is told to leave the council- 
 chamber. " I demand the release of the innocent. 
 My hands shall be free from his blood." 
 " What ! " answers the Rabbi. " Thou shameless 
 traitor ! Thou wilt dictate to the Holy San- 
 hedrim? Know then, thy master must die and 
 thou hast delivered him to death ! " Almost 
 mechanically, as if stunned, he drops to the floor 
 and with vacant look repeats the Rabbi's words. 
 "He must die ? I am a traitor? I have delivered 
 him to death." Suddenly breaking into a frenzy 
 of rage and despair, he cries, "Then may ten 
 thousand devils from hell tear me to pieces, crush 
 
JuDA.s, 1890, 1900, 1910 
 Joliann Zwink, father of the " Mary " of 1910. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 67 
 
 me ! " He flings the accursed blood-money at 
 their feet and cursing them rushes from the 
 council-chamber. 
 
 The High Council, relieved by his departure, 
 decide, since the money is blood-money and can- 
 not be returned to the treasury, to use it to buy 
 the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 
 
 Jesus is now brought before the Sanhedrim. 
 Again they question him and ask him if he is the 
 Son of God. Again he answers, " Ye say it and I 
 am." They shudder at this blasphemy and unan- 
 imously exclaim, " He must die ! " But Pilate 
 must ratify their decision ; so they send the Rabbi 
 and two other members of the Council to announce 
 their coming. When the three reach the palace 
 of Pilate they cannot accept the servant's invitation 
 to enter, as it is against the law for them to go 
 into a Gentile's house at the time of the Passover. 
 Pilate sends them word that he will listen to the 
 petition of the High Council. 
 
 Now follows the last act in the life of Judas. 
 He appears in a wood, and in a wonderful solilo- 
 quy, shows the depth and bitterness of his repent- 
 ance. The memory of his Master's love and 
 goodness, forgotten during the time of temptation, 
 now almost overwhelms him. His crime is too 
 great. He will end his accursed life. He tears 
 the girdle from his waist and is about to hang 
 himself as the curtain falls. 
 
68 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Representation XI 
 
 Christ before Pilate 
 
 Tableau. Daniel falsely accused before King 
 Darius. Daniel vi. 4. 
 
 Action. Christ is taken to Pilate, before whom 
 the priests make their accusations. Pilate de- 
 clares him innocent and orders him to be 
 taken to Herod. 
 
 Scene i. Priests, traders, witnesses, and sol- 
 diers take Christ to Pilate. 
 
 Scene 2. Quintus, Pilate's servant, interviews 
 them. 
 
 Scene 3. The priests make their accusations to 
 Pilate. 
 
 Scene 4. Christ and Pilate. 
 
 Scene 5. Pilate receives a message from his wife. 
 
 Scene 6. Pilate talks with his courtiers. 
 
 Scene 7. Pilate orders the priests to take Christ 
 to King Herod. 
 
 Caiaphas, Annas, the priests, Pharisees, traders 
 and witnesses appear surrounding Christ, who is 
 led by Selpha and followed by a throng of peo- 
 ple. Pilate interviews them from his balcony. 
 As he does not consider the reasons given by 
 the High Council for the death sentence to be 
 sufificient, he orders Christ brought up on the bal- 
 cony and after questioning him finds him without 
 blame. As Jesus is saying that he came into the 
 
Pilate, 1900, 1910 
 Sebastian Bauer, burgomaster of Oberammergau in 1910. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 69 
 
 world to bear witness to the truth, and Pilate asks, 
 " What is truth ? " they are interrupted by a mes- 
 " senger from Pilate's wife. She sends him word to 
 have nothing to do with " that just person " as she 
 " has suffered many things this day in a dream 
 because of him." 
 
 Pilate summons the high priests, and believing 
 that their accusations are prompted only by envy 
 and jealousy, he refuses to pass the death sentence. 
 The Pharisees, however, are insistent ; but when 
 Pilate discovers that Jesus is from Nazareth, which 
 is in the jurisdiction of King Herod, he sends 
 them to him. 
 
 Representation XII 
 
 Christ before Herod 
 
 Tableau. Samson makes sport for the Philis- 
 tines. Judges xvi. 25. 
 
 Action. Herod treats Christ with mockery and 
 derision and sends him back to Pilate. 
 
 Scene i. Herod and his court await Christ with 
 curiosity. 
 
 Scene 2. Herod questions and ridicules Christ. 
 
 Scene 3. Herod refuses to pronounce the death 
 sentence and sends the priests back to Pilate. 
 
 Scene 4. Herod and his courtiers. 
 
 Herod, clad in scarlet, with a golden crown and 
 
 sceptre, is seated on his throne talking with his 
 
70 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 courtiers and awaiting the arrival of Jesus, He 
 does not mean to pass sentence on Christ, but only 
 to try his miracle-working powers, of which he 
 has heard such marvellous reports. 
 
 Caiaphas and the other priests come in, followed 
 by Jesus led by Herod's soldiers. Herod is 
 flattered to learn that Pilate has sent them to him 
 for judgment. He asks Christ to interpret a 
 dream, to perform some miracle. " Cause it to 
 become suddenly dark in this hall ! Or — raise 
 thyself and walk before us without touching the 
 floor, or change the roll which contains thy death 
 sentence into a serpent." As Christ makes no re- 
 sponse to these demands, Herod orders a white 
 robe to be brought and placed upon the silent, 
 majestic figure, and mockingly hails him as king. 
 He commands the soldiers to lead him away. 
 The priests demand the death sentence. Herod 
 refuses to give it and sends them full of anger 
 back to Pilate. 
 
 Representation XIII 
 
 The scourging and crowning with thorns 
 
 Tableau i. Joseph's blood-stained coat brought 
 to the Patriarch Jacob. Genesis xxxvii. 32. 
 
 Tableau 2. The ram appointed for sacrifice in 
 place of Isaac. Genesis xxii. 13. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 71 
 
 Action. Christ is led once more before Pilate, 
 who offers the choice between Christ and 
 Barabbas and orders Christ to be scourged. 
 
 Scene i. Priests, Pharisees, traders, and Christ 
 led by Roman soldiers, approach the house of 
 Pilate. 
 
 Scene 2. Pilate says the people shall choose 
 between Christ and Barabbas and promises 
 that the former shall be scourged. 
 
 Scene 3. Caiaphas exhorts the merchants to 
 incite the people against Christ. 
 
 Scene 4. Christ is scourged and crowned with 
 thorns. 
 
 Again he is dragged back to Pilate, always at- 
 tended by the priests, Pharisees, merchants, wit- 
 nesses, and a guard of soldiers. They determine 
 to force Pilate to pass sentence. He still tries to 
 evade their demand and promises to have Jesus 
 scourged. He finally tells them that when, ac- 
 cording to custom, the people assemble there to 
 beg the release of a prisoner, he will allow them 
 to choose between Christ and Barabbas. 
 
 As Pilate goes in, Caiaphas speaks : " Pilate 
 calls for the voice of the people. Well, we also 
 call for it." Then to the merchants and witnesses : 
 " Now, brave Israelites, your time has come. Go 
 into the streets of Jerusalem, summon your friends 
 to come here. Gather them in great crowds. 
 
72 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 kindle in them the most glowing hatred against 
 the enemy of Moses." As they all hurry away, 
 they cry : " Free Barabbas ! To the cross with 
 the Galilean ! " 
 
 We have seen Jesus, his hands bound behind 
 his back, dragged from one tribunal to another. 
 He has been mocked and buffeted and cruelly 
 treated by the soldiers. Now they have led him 
 to be scourged. As the curtains part, the blows 
 cease. They set him on a rude prison stool, 
 they crown him with a crown of thorns and put a 
 scarlet robe on him and hail him in derision as 
 their king. Throughout the whole scene he shows 
 no trace of anger but bears the insults with sorrow- 
 ful dignity. 
 
 Representation XIV 
 
 Christ is condemned to die on the cross 
 
 Tableau i. Joseph is placed before the people 
 as ruler. Genesis xli. 41. 
 
 Tableau 2. Casting lots over the two goats, 
 one to be a sin-offering, the other a scape- 
 goat. Leviticus xvi. 7. 
 
 Action. Pilate places the scourged and thorn- 
 crowned Christ before the people, who de- 
 mand the release of Barabbas and the death 
 of Christ. The firmness of Pilate is shaken 
 
pq 
 
THE PRODUCTION 73 
 
 by threats. Once more giving testimony to 
 the innocence of Christ, he frees Barabbas 
 and pronounces the death sentence on Christ. 
 
 Scene i. The clamoring throng, led by Caia- 
 phas, Annas, Nathanael, and Ezekiel, appear 
 in the street before the palace of Pilate. 
 
 Scene 2. Pilate, disturbed at the threats of the 
 priests, pronounces the death sentence. 
 
 Distant shouts are heard ; then they come nearer. 
 Caiaphas, Annas, Nathanael, and Ezekiel appear, 
 each leading a mob of people and all crying : " We 
 listen to Moses 1 We stand by our priests ! To 
 death with the false prophet ! " When they are 
 all gathered about the Palace, Caiaphas tells them 
 to demand the sentence with violence, — " Threaten 
 a general tumult." 
 
 As Pilate comes out on his balcony, Christ, the 
 crown of thorns on his head, is brought in by two 
 soldiers. The people call out tumultuously, 
 "Judge him, sentence him!" Pilate, looking 
 compassionately toward Jesus, says, " Behold the 
 Man ! " He is interrupted by shouts, " To the cross 
 with him ! " When Barabbas, the image of a 
 depraved criminal, is brought forward, Pilate 
 hopes that the contrast presented by Christ's 
 noble figure will soften their hearts ; but they all 
 cry with one accord, " Release Barabbas ! " When 
 asked what shall be done with the king of the 
 
74 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 Jews, they answer with a single voice, " Crucify 
 him ! " Even now Pilate wishes to let him go, but 
 at last yields to the threats of the people. He 
 calls for water, saying : " I wash my hands. I am 
 innocent of the blood of this just man. It will rest 
 upon you." The priests and the people answer : 
 "We take it upon us. His blood be upon us and 
 upon our children ! " 
 
 Pilate commands Barabbas to be led away and 
 orders two malefactors to be brought to be con- 
 demned with Christ. The death sentence is then 
 read. 
 
 THIRD DIVISION 
 From the sentence by Pilate to the glorious resurrection 
 of the Lord. 
 
 Representation XV 
 
 The Procession to the Cross 
 Tableau i. Isaac, appointed for sacrifice, carries 
 
 the altar-wood up Mount Moriah. Genesis 
 
 xxii. i-io. 
 Tableau 2. Moses elevates the brazen serpent 
 
 upon a pole. Numbers xxi. 8, 9. 
 Action. Christ, burdened with the cross, is led 
 
 toward Golgotha. He meets his mourning 
 
 Mother. Simon of Cyrene is compelled to 
 
 take the cross. The women of Jerusalem 
 
 weep over Jesus. 
 
THE PRODUCTION 75 
 
 Scene i. Mary, her companions, John, Joseph 
 of Arimathea. 
 
 Scene 2. They hear the tumult of the approach- 
 ing crowd. 
 
 Scene 3. Simon of Cyrene. 
 
 Scene 4. The procession of the cross appears, 
 headed by a Roman horseman carrying the 
 Roman standard. 
 
 Scene 5. Centurion with message from Pilate. 
 
 Mary, John, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Mag- 
 dalen, Kleopha, and Salome have come to Jeru- 
 salem to search for Jesus. As they come through 
 the streets, they hear a great noise in the dis- 
 tance. As it draws nearer it grows to a tumult 
 of shouts and cries. A great crowd of people 
 -come through the gateway, among them a 
 Roman horseman bearing the Roman standard, 
 S. P. Q. R., followed by Roman soldiers. Then 
 come the lictors with Christ who, worn out with 
 fatigue and pain, is borne almost to the earth by 
 the weight of his heavy cross. Close behind 
 come the priests, the Pharisees, and the two 
 thieves bearing smaller crosses. They are sur- 
 rounded by a mocking, jeering throng of people. 
 As they come into sight Mary cries : " It is he ! 
 O God ! It is my son, my Jesus ! " The prog- 
 ress is very slow, and at last Christ sinks to the 
 ground beneath the heavy burden. The execu- 
 
76 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 tioners, catching sight of Simon of Cyrene, who 
 with basket on arm has appeared some moments 
 earlier, place the cross on his broad shoulders. 
 He remonstrates, but as he sees the noble, sor- 
 rowful figure of Christ bowed to the earth, a look 
 of love and grief comes into his face. " What do 
 I see ? The holy Man of Nazareth ? For love of 
 thee will I carry it. O that I could by doing it be 
 worthy of thee ! " 
 
 One of the executioners pushes the bowed 
 figure of Jesus and tries to hurry him on, but they 
 have to wait a little. As he rises Veronica comes 
 to him and offers him a linen cloth with which to 
 wipe the blood and sweat from his face. As the 
 procession moves on, it is halted by a messenger 
 from Pilate, who orders the Captain to come to 
 him at once. The procession now disappears, 
 the people crying : " To the cross with him ! 
 To the cross 1 Long live the Synagogue ! " 
 
 Representation XVI 
 
 Jesus on Golgotha 
 
 The Prologus and Chorus of Protecting Spirits 
 appear clad in black mantles. Heavy ham- 
 mer-blows are heard during the singing. 
 
 Action. Jesus is raised on the cross. The crowd 
 scoff at him. His last words and death. 
 
John, 1890, 1900 
 Peter Rendl, who in 1910 represents " Joseph of Arimathea." 
 
THE PRODUCTION 77 
 
 Thtt descent from the cross. Provision made 
 
 by the Jews for watching the grave. The 
 
 burial of his body. 
 Scene i. Calvary, The cross on which Christ 
 
 is already fastened is raised to position. 
 
 The casting of lots ; the death. 
 Scene 2. The lance thrust. 
 Scene 3. The priests appoint a watch for the 
 
 grave. 
 Scene .4. The descent from the cross. 
 
 The Protecting Spirits, clad in black mantles, 
 walk solemnly and sadly on to the stage. During 
 the address of the Prologus heavy hammer- 
 blows are heard from behind the scenes. As the 
 curtains part, the scene on Calvary appears. The 
 thieves already hang on their crosses. In the 
 centre on the ground is the Christ, nailed to the 
 cross. An executioner affixes the inscription, 
 " This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews," 
 and the cross is raised to position. The silence 
 in the auditorium is broken only by the sobs 
 that many are unable to repress. There is the 
 beautiful, majestic figure that we have followed 
 from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem up to this 
 moment, when, forsaken by all his followers, he 
 hangs on Calvary. The crowd that in the begin- 
 ning shouted hosannas to his name are now revil- 
 ing him. 
 
78 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 All that follows is as related in the Gospels. 
 The soldiers cast lots for the garments, the priests 
 taunt their victim : " He saved others. Himself 
 he cannot save." As they call to him to come 
 down from the cross, since he is " the Son of 
 God," he says, " Father, forgive them, for they 
 know not what they do," and to the thief on 
 his right, who begs Christ to remember him when 
 he comes into his Kingdom, "This day shalt 
 thou be with me in Paradise." When Jesus sees 
 his Mother and the disciple whom he loved 
 standing near, he says : " Woman, behold thy 
 son ! Son, behold thy Mother." He cries in tones 
 of anguish, " Eloi ! Eloi ! Lama Sabachtani," and 
 a moment later, bowing his head, " It is finished. 
 Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit." 
 
 Darkness falls and the earth trembles. When 
 word is brought to the priests that the veil of the 
 Temple has been rent in twain, they hurry away, 
 but soon return to claim the body. At this mo- 
 ment Joseph of Arimathea enters with a servant 
 of Pilate, who says, " I have orders to inform you 
 that the body is to be delivered over to this man 
 as a gift from the Prefect." The priests, furious 
 at this rebuff, make a further attempt, but the 
 centurion upholds the order of Pilate. After 
 taking down the bodies of the thieves, they all go 
 off, leaving Mary and her friends at the foot of 
 the cross. 
 
o 
 
 « 
 
 Q 
 
 a 
 o 
 
 Z 
 
 s 
 
THE PRODUCTION 79 
 
 Now follows one of the most moving and im- 
 pressive scenes of the Passion Play, the descent 
 from the cross. It is in some respects like the 
 celebrated painting of that name by Rubens. 
 Throughout the auditorium there is a silence that 
 can be felt as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, 
 standing on ladders placed against the cross, 
 gently remove the crown of thorns and the nails. 
 Then by means of a long linen cloth, passed 
 across the chest and under the arms, Nicodemus 
 slowly lowers the body to the arms of Joseph of 
 Arimathea, who, saying : " O sweet holy burden ! 
 Come upon my shoulders," tenderly receives it. 
 Assisted by John and the others, he reverently 
 lays it at the knee of the sorrowing Mother. They 
 then anoint the body and carry it away to the 
 tomb. The whole scene is portrayed with the 
 utmost love and devotion. 
 
 Representation XVII 
 
 The Resurrection 
 The Chorus of Protecting Spirits appear again in 
 
 bright mantles. 
 Action. Christ rises. The watchers at the grave 
 fall in aw2. 
 After the address of the Prologus the Protecting 
 Spirits sing a burial song. 
 
 In this scene, as four soldiers watch before the 
 
8o OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 tomb, an angel thrusts the stone away and Christ 
 appears. The soldiers fall to the ground in awe. 
 As they recover themselves, they see that the grave 
 is open, and on looking in find it empty. They 
 hasten away to inform the Pharisees. 
 
 Closing Representation 
 
 Last words of Prologus 
 
 Rejoice, O friends, and return home, fortified 
 by the great love you have this day beheld. Fill 
 your hearts with adoration of Him who gave His 
 life for you, and whose love from heaven now 
 guides you. There reunited with our Saviour we 
 shall all meet again. 
 
 The Hallelujah Chorus 
 Tableau. The Ascension. 
 
 Once more the Chorus of Protecting Spirits ap- 
 pear, and after the closing words of the Prologus, 
 they sing a song of victory, a hallelujah chorus. 
 During the last verse the tableau of the Ascension 
 is shown. As the curtain falls, the chorus step 
 forward and in tones of triumphant rejoicing 
 sing :— 
 
 " Hallelujah ! 
 
 " Praise, Adoration, Honor, Glory and Majesty 
 be to Thee from Everlasting to Everlasting." 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 CLOSING SCENES OF PASSION SUMMER 
 
 THE representation has lasted eight hours, 
 during which the interest has not flagged 
 for a single moment. It has all seemed 
 real. The sun has shone upon the players, the 
 breezes have lifted their hair, birds have flitted 
 in and out, and through it all we have seen the 
 blue sky and the mountains. 
 
 All who take part in this wonderful drama have 
 the " rarest power of imaginative self-surrender." 
 They seem not to be acting, but to be living their 
 parts. Consequently there is never any ranting 
 or anything theatrical about them. All their 
 emotion is controlled. All the characters express 
 the dignity of the Orient even in the stress of 
 great excitement or anger. This is true not only 
 of the single characters but also of the great 
 ci*bwds, which gather and disappear with the 
 naturalness of real life, as at the entry into Jeru- 
 salem, when there are from five to seven hundred 
 people on the stage at once. 
 
 Those who saw Anton Lang's Christus in 1900 
 will remember with what strength and dignity he 
 represented the sacred character. During the 
 
 81 
 
82 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 whole eight hours of the Play in which he was the 
 dominant figure, in the first part by his warm, hu- 
 man, lofty utterances and action, in the second by 
 his eloquent silence, there was nothing to offend 
 the most sensitive religious feeling. Through it 
 all he expressed the Christ qualities as they are 
 pictured in the New Testament : dignity, strength, 
 gentleness, tenderness, humility, love, gratitude 
 for affection, compassion, forgiveness. 
 
 That this representation brings home to those 
 who witness it the truths of the New Testament 
 as books or sermons could never do has been 
 testified to by many people. In 1900, after one 
 of the representations, I was interpreting for 
 an English clergyman. His eyes were swollen 
 from weeping. Evidently much moved by the 
 Play, he told me he had come all the way from 
 Australia to see it, but that when he reached 
 England his friends there had tried to dissuade 
 him from coming to Oberammergau, saying that 
 the people were giving the Play from mercenary 
 motives. " But," he added, " having come so far 
 I decided to come the rest of the way and see for 
 myself. How thankful I am that I came I Never 
 have I realized the reality, the truth of the New 
 Testament narrative as I do to-day ! " Another 
 witness said to me : " After seeing the Passion 
 Play, one can never be the same again. Life has a 
 new meaning." Still another writes : " To describe 
 
JoHANx Lang 
 
 A leading spirit in Oborammergau during liis whole life. In 1000, 
 burgomaster and director of I'assion Play. Died June 17, laoo. 
 
CLOSING SCENES 83 
 
 in detail the scenes of this drama is no easy task. 
 To convey a true idea of it in words, or to form an 
 adequate conception of its simple grandeur with- 
 out personally seeing it, is impossible. It was a 
 sight which no man, whatever may have been 
 his education or his religious opinions, could look 
 upon without some feeling and without carrying 
 away a deep and lasting impression." Luther in 
 his " Table-Talk " says : " These representations 
 strike the imagination of the people through their 
 eyes, and move them often far more than public 
 preaching." 
 
 The one sad day of the summer to those who 
 take part in the Play is that on which the last per- 
 formance is given. All through the day traces 
 of tears are seen on their faces. When it is over 
 and they go back to their dressing-rooms to lay 
 aside their beloved garments, they give vent to 
 their sorrow. Many feel that when the next 
 Passion summer comes they will not receive the 
 same r61es, and some ask themselves if in ten 
 years they will be alive. 
 
 On the morning following the last performance 
 a service of thanksgiving is held in the village 
 church at nine o'clock. From here the villag- 
 ers all go to the Passion theatre, where an 
 address is made by the burgomaster. On Oc- 
 tober 3, 1900, Josef Mayr gave the address.' 
 
 ' Josef Mayr died December i, 1903. 
 
84 OBERAMMERGAU 
 
 After relating the history of the vow and the Play 
 during the centuries, he spoke of the happiness 
 the summer had brought to them in their fulfil- 
 ment of the vow. He ended the address by ex- 
 horting them all to go back to their work with 
 glad hearts and renewed zeal. 
 
 Early the next morning all of the players and 
 many of the other villagers made a pilgrimage to 
 the Monastery of Ettal. Sebastian Lang (Caia- 
 phas), in the midst of a band of boys carrying 
 banners, led the procession. After them came 
 Anton Lang (Christus), surrounded by the young 
 men of the village. Then followed in succession 
 the older men, the Burgomaster and Council, the 
 priest in robes, acolytes bearing cross and candles, 
 the little girls, and finally the women. They all 
 chanted prayers as they walked through the val- 
 ley in the fresh morning air. Reaching the village 
 of Ettal at eight o'clock, the people held a brief 
 service, and at its close the procession filed past 
 the high altar on which was the sacred image of 
 the Madonna brought so long ago from Italy. 
 
 Two weeks after the Play was over the village 
 showed few traces of the streams of people who 
 had been pouring through it for five months. 
 The men who had worn the robes of kings and 
 priests and disciples had donned their working 
 garb and were living the devout and faithful lives 
 that enable them to give their marvellous drama. 
 
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