98114. Oberammergau: Land of History, Promise

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

        OBERAMMERGAU, Germany -- This Bavarian village is a place 
where time has stood still.
        The 5,000 villagers here still wear traditional knee-length 
leather pants called "lederhosen," pointed Alpine caps and rugged 
hiking boots. Tightly knit wool jackets with embroidered 
wildflowers and woolly walking vests keep out the crisp air. 
        In summer, farmers tend immaculate fields. In winter, they 
ply a thousand-year-old tradition of woodcarving. Countless 
tourist shops in town are filled with the crucifixes, Madonnas, 
saints and nativities they fashion. 
        Nestled in a valley rimmed by dark woodlands and snow-capped 
mountains, the village itself is a tight maze of cobbled streets 
and houses adorned with historic murals called "Luftlmalereien." 
The village itself houses dairy farmsteads. High-quality shops 
lining every major street are packed to the brim with religious 
statues and other costly wood carvings. Restaurants and 
bierstubes offer Bavarian and ethnic fare.
        Throughout the day, bells peal from the town's 18th century 
church, decorated within with a wealth of rococo art. At night, 
only an occasional dog bark disturbs the quiet that settles on 
the village and across the valley. 
        Oberammergau has preserved the traditions and beauty of the 
past and incorporated its past into its present and future. For 
those who live here, it is a way of life they are bound to honor. 
People here have honored a pledge their ancestors made nearly 400 
years ago.
        When the Black Plague swept Europe in the mid-1600s, village 
fathers asked God to spare their people. In return, they vowed to 
honor Christ's life each decade. The plague bypassed the village, 
and Oberammergau's world-famous Passion Play was born in 1634. 
The next performances are in 2000. 
        As they do each decade, local residents celebrate the life 
of Jesus Christ. They will grow their hair and beards, preparing 
for their latest roles in the cast of thousands. A young shepherd 
in 1990 may find he's this decade's Joseph or Pontius Pilate. 
        The eight-hour play is staged in two parts at a 4,000-seat 
outdoor amphitheater. Each day from mid-May through the end of 
September 2000, visitors will attend the morning performance, 
lunch at a designated restaurant, and then return for the 
afternoon performance. The play draws sell-out crowds from around 
the world, so village residents advise buying tickets early.
        Between performances throughout the decade, the Passion Play 
house is open to visitors. English-speaking guides explain the 
history of the play and display the stage and costumes.
        For more information about Oberammergau and the Passion 
Play, contact the Gemeinde Oberammergau OHG, Eugen Papst Strasse 
9a, 82487 Oberammergau, Germany. Or phone: 49-8822-92310 or fax 
49-8822-923190.

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Time seems to stand still in Oberammergau, a village of 5,000 nestled in the Bavarian Alps about three hours south of Munich. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA

Outdoor enthusiasts will find skiing, sledding and other sports in and around Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA

Winter snows draw people and sleds out on the hillsides near Oberammergau, Germany. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA

Winter snows turn the mountainsides and trees near Oberammergau, Germany, into a winter wonderland. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA

The Oberammergau parish church, consecrated in 1749, is a treasure of rococo art and architecture. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA

Oberammergau is a village of cobbled streets, woodcarving shops, restaurants, bierstubes and farmsteads. Staff Sgt. David Cardenas, USA