Amanda- Oberammergau

Throughout all the places we’ve traveled we’ve talked a lot about the impact the black plague had on Europe and have seen many monuments and churches built in memorial of those perished and in thanksgiving of those who survived. I’ve now come to sort of expect most places I visit in Europe to have some sort of sight dedicated to the black plague, but in my travels through southern Germany I came across something totally unexpected.

I passed through a small, quiet town, Oberammergau, tucked away in the Bavarian Alps which at first seemed just like all the other small towns we had visited on our trip. I discovered that they were very well known for their wood carvings and I began seeing more elaborate, intricate wooden items for sale in many stores. As I looked at these carvings I noticed more and more that the majority of them were not only religious, but that they were intense interpretations of Jesus’ crucifixion. I asked someone why so many of the shops had these carvings and I was shocked when I heard the answer.

In addition to their wood carvings, the town of Oberammergau is apparently the most well known place in the world for their passion play. Since 1634, every 10 years the townspeople have reenacted the passion of the death of Jesus. This is the result of a promise made by the council during the time of the black plague that God would protect the town and stop the sickness from spreading. The plague had already entered the town and killed almost a hundred people, yet miraculously the plague stopped, and ever since that the passion play has been carried out in Oberammergau.