Passion Play 2022: Oberammergau celebrates resurrection after Corona - village in a state of emergency

Created: 04/14/2022, 09:30 am

By: Cornelia Schramm

The Passion Play 2022 are young: Rochus Rückel (left) and Cengiz Görür both play a major role.

Push Jesus, Gorür Judas.

In real life, however, God's son and his betrayer get along splendidly.

© Marcus sleep

The Passion Play in Oberammergau begins on May 14th – and the whole village is preparing.

These are special games, and not just because of the postponement caused by Corona.

A site visit.

Oberammergau – Anton Preisinger takes a picture from the wall.

"Me, twenty years ago," says the 54-year-old, pointing to his bearded, younger self.

Back then he played Judas, the man who betrays Jesus.

This year he is Pilate, the man who has him crucified.

Preisinger gets along well with the villain image.

"As a Pilate, I'm finally traveling incognito," he says.

"Back then I was always asked if I was an actor - because of the wild beard."

From Judas to Pilate: Anton Preisinger (54) is at the Passion for the sixth time – this year without a beard.

© Marcus sleep

If you walk through Oberammergau, you will see many bearded men.

For months it has been rampant in the small Alpine community in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district.

The hair and beard decree prohibits performers of the Passion* from shaving.

Only Romans are allowed to keep their smooth chins.

Cengiz Görür is also a victim of the decree.

With a full beard, hooded sweatshirt and kepi, he cycles through town.

During the day he delivers pizza, in the evening he rehearses for hours at the Passionstheater.

After all, the 22-year-old has one of the main roles as Judas.

Passion Play 2022 in Oberammergau: Anton Preisinger is playing for the sixth time

Game director Christian Stückl* himself discovered him.

That was in 2016, in the “Paradiso” ice cream parlor just around the corner from the Passionstheater.

"I like your voice," said Stückl, invited Görür to ​​the speaking test - and gave him roles in his plays.

"Before, I had nothing to do with theater," says Görür, whose parents run a hotel in town.

At some point, Stückl then said: "Cengiz, i dad di a kaffa!".

The Bavarian praise was followed by a promise.

"Christian promised me a role that would make my ears ring."

Christian promised me a role that would make my ears tickle - and they really did. 

Cengiz Görür (22) plays Judas in the Passion 

And so it was that Görür's name was written on the blackboard* in 2018, which solemnly announces the roles for the Passion.

"My ears were really ringing.

I would never have thought of Judas.”

Passion Play 2022 in Oberammergau: Each role is played twice

The day in the ice cream parlor turned Görür's life upside down - and caused a minor sensation in the media.

With him, a Muslim plays a leading role in the Passion Play for the first time.

Görur himself cannot understand the hype surrounding his person.

"My dad comes from Turkey, but grew up here and I was born in Garmisch." The fact that he plays Judas is "open-minded normality".

By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular GAP newsletter.

It's still unusual that Cengiz Görür immediately becomes Judas.

The role of Judas is coveted because it is so complex.

"Normally you play Jesus first, then Judas, as they say in Oberammergau," says Rochus Rückel and laughs.

He is one of two Jesus actors.

Every role in the Passion is cast twice.

The 26-year-old would have been the second youngest-ever performer of Jesus in 2020.

Now that the passion has been postponed because of Corona*, Rückel faces the challenge of mastering the Jesus role and his master's thesis at the same time.

“Uni, learning texts and at least four hours of rehearsal,” is how he describes his daily routine.

In between a few interviews.

"That's just part of it, but after two years I'm just really excited about the stage."

A great role for women: Sophie Schuster (26) plays Magdalena.

© Marcus sleep

So does Sophie Schuster, this year Magdalena on stage.

"In the Passion there are only two major roles for women: Maria and Magdalena." And Magdalena fits into the repertoire of the 26-year-old.

After Shakespeare's Juliet and the Vulture Wally, which she has already played, another strong woman.

Passion Play 2022: Up-and-coming actors are getting younger and younger

Görür, 22, Rückel, 26, and Schuster, also only 26 - the passion is very young again.

Christian Stückl has been specifically looking for young talent for the past twenty years.

Her euphoria* is evident during the rehearsals, although the seats in the Passionstheater are still empty.

"Every passion is unique and something is happening in the town," says Schuster.

State of emergency.

There are many legends surrounding the passion.

Almost every resident has a different one in stock.

New ones are created every ten years.

Whether they ever happened is irrelevant.

They are always exciting.

Lightning is said to have struck right behind the open-air stage - exactly when Jesus was stabbed with a spear during the crucifixion.

The spectators are said to have fainted in rows.

Or: On cold days, Jesus is said to be rubbed with Vaseline – for warmth.

"I don't know the story," says Rückel in astonishment.

"But I heard about tiger balm."

The history of the Passion Play in Oberammergau

in the village

during the Thirty Years' War .

Some citizens vowed in 1633 to perform the Passion every ten years when the plague left the village.

According to tradition, there were no more victims of the plague after that.

The lyrics have been revised over time.

since 1990

and has fundamentally modernized the amateur game.

In the same year women were given equal rights by a court decision.

A dispute raged in advance because married women and over 35-year-olds were not allowed to take part.

One thing still applies today: anyone who plays must have been born there or

.

Many people from Oberammergau are born with a love of passion.

The Preisingers also had host genes.

The family runs the oldest inn in town.

Father and son (Anton Preisinger Junior plays the Apostle John this year) will not only be on stage until October, but also behind the counter and reception.

Your guests travel from all over Europe, even from Asia and the USA.

"In years of passion we have to double the number of our employees," says Preisinger.

His cell phone rings – the painter.

"We always keep the hotel in good shape, but for passion you invest even more intensively."

Before Passion Play in Oberammergau: A village is upside down - business people are preparing

There is also work going on opposite.

Dorfstraße, with its magnificently painted houses, a dream backdrop for every Heimat film, is still pretty empty.

In four weeks, however, thousands will again be jostling through Magdalenengasse and Kreuzweg.

Wood sculptor Florian Lang is currently expanding his shop by one room.

The crucifixes are hanging, the Madonnas are already waiting.

"Because of Corona, customers should have more space," says the 63-year-old.

The Ammergauer Krippenstube has increased its contingent of nativity figures, angels and snack boards.

"We're looking forward to the passion because Corona almost meant the end for us," says Marie Huber.

Soon the 20-year-old will again be burning motifs such as Neuschwanstein Castle in the souvenir shop.

After closing time, she scurries onto the stage in the Passionstheater.

She plays among the people.

Upwind after the Corona low: Marie Huber (20) prepares everything for the customers in the “Ammergauer Krippenstube” souvenir shop.

© Marcus sleep

For wood sculptor Tobias Haseidl the "very hot phase" is almost over.

He has been building the stage design since 2019.

Just one more color correction here, a few handles there.

"Each element has to be easy to grasp so that it can be quickly reconfigured during the performance," says the 57-year-old.

He now swaps the file for his horn again and rehearses with the orchestra every weekend.

"The passion is a time waster - but a particularly beautiful one for the place."

Tinkering in chords: Wood sculptor Tobias Haseidl (57) has recently rarely been in his own workshop, but only worked on stage sets.

© Marcus sleep

Passion Play in Oberammergau: Mayor Andreas Rödl in an interview

Andreas Rödl, 36, used to be a police officer and has been the mayor of Oberammergau for the CSU since 2020.

Rödl sings in the choir at the Passion.

Mr. Rödl: What is your first memory of the Passion Play?

When I was five, I was there in 1990 when I entered Jerusalem in my dad's arms.

I had the feeling that the 4,500 pairs of eyes in the audience were only looking at me.

It was totally crazy and I remembered it.

Stage Fright?

There is hardly any time left for stage fright.

I'm a tenor in the choir.

We rehearse every weekend and soon more.

Luckily there are "lubricants" for the voice.

With the right breathing technique, you really don't need it.

I can see that in my seven-month-old son Fritz, who never gets hoarse.

(laughs)

So you haven't been singing that long?

I used to sing in the school choir.

I signed up for the Passion because tenors were wanted.

My mother used to sing solo - something must have stuck, I thought to myself.

When the rehearsals started in 2018, it became clear to me: It's not that easy to get out of your head.

In the meantime I'm back in it and I prefer to sing the pieces of the Way of the Cross.

Is your son Fritz already there this year?

He is firmly scheduled and can definitely experience his first passion.

How, we're still thinking.

My wife Lena is Herod's servant, my father-in-law sings bass, my mother-in-law stands in the cloakroom.

But my mother is not allowed to play this year.

She has to take care of her grandson.

(laughs)

How is the community preparing?

After the passion is before the passion.

The preparation and follow-up work takes years.

This time, however, we are primarily concerned with the new safety concept that we have developed with the police, fire brigade and medical service.

In 2010, when the last Passion took place, times were different.

After the Love Parade accident and several terrorist attacks, we too need video cameras, bollards to secure the access roads, and security personnel.

Larger bags and luggage are prohibited.

The passion plays are also an important economic factor for the place.

First and foremost, we want to keep our vows.

But of course, passion is also our main source of income and enormously important for many local companies.

At full capacity, 450,000 spectators come.

In 2010 we made a profit of 40 million euros.

Other places have large corporations that pay trade tax, we just have the passion.

75 percent of the tickets have already been sold.

Does the passion strengthen the village community?

Clear.

A third of our 5422 residents are involved – and the project brings them together.

In the truest sense of the word: My parents met at the Passion Play in 1980.

My wife and I in 2010. It's the social event.

Many who study or work outside return to the Passion.

There are even said to be young people who want to remain single in order to get to know someone here.

The Passion Play takes place from May 14th to October 2nd.

Prices: 30 to 180 euros.

Ticket hotline: 088 22/ 835 93 30.

You can find more current news from the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Merkur.de/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.