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OBERAMMERGAU

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Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 946 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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OBERAMMERGAU , a See also:

village of See also:Bavaria, See also:Germany, See also:district of Upper Bavaria, situated amongst the See also:foot-hills of the See also:Alps in the valley of the Ammer, 64 m. S.S.W. of See also:Munich. Pop. about 1400. The village folk are mainly engaged in making toys, and See also:carving crucifixes, rosaries and images of See also:saints. The See also:place is famous for their performance of a See also:Passion See also:Play every tenth See also:year (e.g. in 1910), to which thousands of visitors See also:flock. This dramatic See also:representation of the sufferings of See also:Christ is not a survival of a See also:medieval See also:mystery or See also:miracle-play, but took its rise from a See also:vow made by the inhabitants in 1633, with the See also:hope of staying a See also:plague then raging. The See also:original See also:text and arrangements were probably made by the monks of Ettal, a monastery a little higher up the valley; but they were carefully remodelled by the See also:parish See also:priest at the beginning of the See also:present See also:century, when the Oberammergau play obtained exemption from the See also:general suppression of such performances by the Bavarian See also:government. The See also:music was composed by Rochus Dedler, schoolmaster of the parish in 1814. The performances take place on the Sundays of summer, in a large open-See also:air See also:theatre holding 6000 persons, and each lasts about nine See also:hours, with a See also:short intermission at See also:noon. Each See also:scene from the See also:history of Christ is prefaced by a tableau of typical import from the Old Testament. About 700 actors are required, all belonging to the village. The proceeds of the performances are devoted to the See also:good of the community, after defrayal of the See also:costs and See also:payment of a small remuneration to the actors.

The villagers regard the Passion Play as a See also:

solemn See also:act of religious See also:worship, and the performances are characterized by the greatest reverence.--See also:OBERLIN, J. F. The See also:principal parts are usually hereditary in certain families, and are assigned with regard to moral See also:character as well as dramatic ability. It is considered a disgrace not to be allowed to take See also:part in the play, and the part of Christ is looked upon as one of the greatest of earthly honours. See also:Edward See also:Devrient (in 185o) was among the first to See also:direct general See also:attention to Oberammergau; and numerous accounts have since appeared. An See also:English version of the text of the Passion Play has been published by E. Childe (1880).

End of Article: OBERAMMERGAU

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