The history of the Oberammergau Passion Play begins in 1633. In the midst of the Thirty Years’ War, as plagues brought suffering and death for months on end, the people of Oberammergau vowed that they would stage the ‘play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ’ every ten years. It was at Pentecost in 1634 that they first fulfilled this promise. In 2022, the community will present the Passion Play for the 42nd time, an unrivalled feat of continuity. Almost half the residents of Oberammergau, more than 2000 participants, mount the life of Jesus of Nazareth in a five-hour performance on the imposing open-air stage of the Passion Play Theatre in southern Bavaria. With more than one hundred performances and half a million spectators it is the most successful amateur production in the world, and is included on UNESCO’s register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The official illustrated book documents Christian Stückl’s new production of the Passion Play with set designs, costumes and tableaux vivants by Stefan Hageneier. It is the third Passion Play production that the two Oberammergau-born artists have staged together, one that sees them forging a connection with the present day, highlighting the pressing issues of asylum and integration. The rehearsals are captured by Icelandic cinematographer Birgit Guðjónsdóttir, and her moving andrichly detailed photographs reveal the enormous energy and emotional force of this unique event.