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Oberammergau Passion Play, Murals and King Ludvig II

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Visit Oberammergau

Welcome to Oberammergau, Germany - population 5500.

This beautiful small town at the foot of Mount Kofel lies in Bavaria at the southern border near Austria. Such a small town might go unnoticed if it weren't for it's marvelous murals depicting fairy tales and biblical themes, it's passion play staged every ten years and one of the homes of King Ludvig II.

Residents and experienced travelers alike know that Oberammergau is also full of friendly people, old world charm, good food and beer, exhilarating hiking and beautiful vistas.

Note that the image here is the crest of the Town of Oberammergau.

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How to Get There

When you've had your fill of beautiful and picturesque Munich, you can take the train to Murnau and transfer trains to Oberammergau.

By car, you can take the A-95 Autobahn SW out of Munich and take the Ettal exit, then NW on the B-23 to Oberammergau. The entire trip is only about 90 kilometers or about 55 miles.

How you get to Germany is another matter.

Oberammergau Luftmalerei and Murals

Luftmarerei, or air paintings, are a bavarian style of trompe l'oeil painting (meaning trick the eye) which were first created by Franz Seraph Zwink of Oberammergau in the 1700s. His style of painting, quickly spreading through Bavaria, made use of paint, light and shadow to make plain walls appear to have other features including lintels, shelves, recesses, pillars, soffits and more.

These apparently three dimensional architectural features simply don't exist, and are just paintings on a two dimensional surface, but their style and craftsmanship are so lifelike, that one has to get very close, and sometimes even touch the feature, to banish the illusion of perspective. This style is prevalent throughout the town of Oberammergau, and just walking through the town's streets gives viewers ample opportunity to view these "architectural" features.

Oberammergau is also famous for its murals depicting scenes from Grimm's Fairy Tales, scenes of the Bible and other religiously inspired iconography (crucifixes and cherubim being most common).

Luftmalerei and Murals

Little Red Riding Hood

Perhaps one of Oberammergau's most famous murals, this one depicts Little Red Riding being sent on her way to Grandma's and encountering the Wolf and arriving at Grandma's, with the story in scroll work above the scenes.

Note also the cherub theming at the top and the Luftmalerei around the windows.

Hanzel and Gretel

Another famous fairy tale mural tells the story of Hanzel and Gretel, being found by the witch, imprisoned and made to work for the witch, and finally the witch's end by being forced into her own oven. The story is told in scrollwork beneath the action which also serves as Luftmalerei lintels for the windows.

Note the faux brickwork on the corners.

Mittenwald Dragon

Nearby Mittenwald shows how the style of storytelling and deceptive elements traveled across Bavaria.

Here, a character is spearing a dragon gripping the lintel. The character appears to be inside a portrait, and is breaking this plane to stab the dragon which appears to be on our plane. The drapery at the top and the portrait implys that the wall is also on the inside of the building when it is in fact on the outside.

Note the intricate bowing of the windows as well. This entire wall is flat. The painting itself, dated by the artist in 1689, is more than 300 years old.

Munich Hotel

More Luftmalerei as far north as Munich, creating an interesting facade on the face of a hotel.

Note the 3 lights which do stand out from the face, which aid in the illusion that the bands of foliage above them appear to be standing on top of them, rather than painted on the wall.

Oberammergau Passion Play

Oberammergau has Christian iconography throughout the town, but it's greatest claim to fame is the Passion Play it puts on once a decade.

Oberammergau's Passion Play, a seven hour long depiction of old testament passages and The Passion of Christ, was originally performed in 1634 when the people of Oberammergau beseeched God to protect them from the Black Plague. As their performance seemed to spare the town, they vowed to honor God with the Play from then on and committed to perform the Passion Play every ten years ever since.

The Passion Play employs 2000 members (more than 1/3 of the town!), all of which must be townspeople of Oberammergau, and is complete with costumes, props, music and scenery, all carefully stored and maintained until they are brought out for their shows every decade. The Play will be performed daily from May 15 through October 3, 2010.

For the first time ever, the Play will be performed in two parts, starting in the afternoon, and reconvening in the evening. The hosts sell packages including accommodations, meals before the play and during intermission and programs.

For more information, visit their site for tickets, packages and seating.

If you're going to view this once in a decade opportunity, now is the time to get tickets and make travel arrangements.

Even if you miss the Play, the theater, built solely for the purpose of performing the Play and storing its trappings, can be toured any time of the year, giving you a behind the scenes look at the stage, costumes and the shear volume of effort and commitment that goes into this presentation.

Passion Play and Theater

Good Versus Evil

The Oberammergau Theater

This theater is used only during the 100 or so days every 10 years when the Passion Play is performed.

Jesus Teaching

One of many large crowd scenes during the 7 hour play.

Last Supper

Jesus Christ and John the Baptist from 1900 Performance

Oberammergau Theater from the Outside

King Ludvig II and Oberammergau

King Ludvig II, also known as Ludvig the Mad, is still a beloved former ruler of Bavaria. In 1870, King Ludvig saw the Play for himself and was so impressed that he commissioned a crucifixion group showing the last moments at Calvary Hill, and dedicated it to the town. The statue is in the mountains overlooking Oberammergau.

King Ludvig also built Linderhof Castle nearby, but unlike Neuschwanstein, Linderhof was completed before his mysterious death. Although not as elaborate as Neuschwanstein, Linderhof shows the "mad" king's flair and desire to have a unique, dreamlike home.

Like Neuschwanstein, Linderhof has many fantastic rooms depicting fairy tales and other stories.

The mountains around Oberammergau can be traversed by hiking up their treacherous trails, or by riding the town's cable car to the top.

Schloss Linderhof Adventures

Schloss Linderhof

Venus Underground Grotto

Moorish Room

Ornate Chandelier and Ceiling

More Information About Oberammergau

The Travel Channel did a great episode on Bavaria with Samantha Brown featuring Mittenwald, Oberammergau and Neuschwanstein. If it comes on again, it's worth watching.

Travel Channel Episode Review

Oberammergau Stories and Musings

Have you been to Oberammergau and have stories to share?

Are you planning on going sometime soon, perhaps to see the Passion Play?

Share your stories and information about Oberammergau, Bavaria and Germany.

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