Special service for guests of the Passion Play: Police escort coaches to Oberammergau at the G7 summit

Created: 06/29/2022, 21:00

By: Manuela Schauer

The departure of US President Joe Biden caused the protocol route to be blocked.

At that point, the coaches were already on their way to Oberammergau.

© Philipp von Ditfurth

This experience was a treat: Passion guests who were staying in Garmisch-Partenkirchen were brought to Oberammergau in a convoy.

Led by the police.

Oberammergau – If you want to visit the Passion Play in Oberammergau, you can book arrangements.

These include, among other things, up to two nights' accommodation, tickets in different categories and a three-course menu during the breaks in the performances.

Guests can also use the local bus and local public transport free of charge on the day of the match.

The G7 summit in Schloss Elmau, however, must have provided a very special arrival experience for many people.

Travel groups that were accommodated in Garmisch-Partenkirchen were brought to the Ammer Valley by the Oberammergau police like VIPs with “escorts” last Sunday and Tuesday.

An upgrade for free.

Only visitors who were accommodated in areas with increased restrictions in the market town could use the special service, says Martin Kees, head of the police station.

"So that they could drive up safely and without detours" and show up on time for the performance.

A vehicle was parked to escort the tour buses.

It was simply important to act quickly and professionally.

The action, emphasizes Kees, went off without any problems.

Unplanned early departure of US President Joe Biden

Even the surprisingly early departure of US President Joe Biden on Tuesday morning, which included a temporary closure of the protocol route, did not have a negative effect on the guests of the vow game.

Gerhard Griebler found out about the American head of state's plans that morning.

The managing director of Passionsvertriebs-GmbH had to react quickly and speak to the tour guides.

There was only time for a "cat wash," he says and laughs.

At short notice, the transport date was brought forward by half an hour, says Sonja Steininger.

The detective inspector sat in the police car, the buses in tow.

As early as 9 a.m., they began to transport the guests out of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

It doesn't happen to a bus driver every day either.

No wonder,

that one wanted to record the experience and asked the police for a photo with his vehicle and those of the officers in front of it.

His wish was granted.

Griebler and his team offered those affected two options in advance.

Either they drive in an "unchristian" time slot before eight o'clock in the direction of Oberammergau or in a convoy.

Most used the former option to also visit Linderhof or Neuschwanstein.

On Sunday, the first day of the summit, 4 out of 14 buses were escorted, says the head of sales, on Tuesday only 2. All visitors came to the performance on time.

No complaints

Accordingly, there was no big moo and moh.

"No one complained," says Griebler.

Everyone knew that G7 can lead to limitations.

American tour guides from New York, Boston or Washington in particular would know the little game "that an interstate is blocked from time to time," says the expert.

He is extremely satisfied with the way things went on the summit days.

Which for him was clearly due to the preparation.

Early on, those responsible for the Passion had been given a coordinator by the police in Kees to coordinate their needs.

"We were the link between the G7 and the organizers," says colleague Steininger, explaining the role of the local police.

Griebler only finds words of praise: "It was just well planned." From all sides.