, 1880-07-26
OI}EIl-AMMERGAU.
The Docenniai Passion.Play in a
Village Of Bavaria.
Where the Place Is, and How It Il to
Bs Reached.
Tie Thcatre, tho Chorus, the Actors,
. md the Performance. !.

Special Correspondent oy The Chfeaco 7rtbpnA
OnEil-AMMEi.HAr, 1IAvnriu, June u, lt5U.-
Tho attention ot the Christian world Is again
drawn to tho remarkable ,rahla vi the
1nss1on, performed BY the vfiiagcrs Of Obcr-
Amu,rguu, Tradition sHys that tho cele-
bratctl religious play which ls given every
tenth yenr d,tt4s as far buck 1Y 1854, being
now performed III falflilment OF
A gOI.l:MN vow
made then 10 Cod by the villagers. The
tradition Is us follows: In tho year 1CD
fearful pestllel,ce broke out III tic neigh
boring vtltagcs,-so fearful, Indeed, II
was thought everybody would die.
III Collgrub, close 10 Obur~Atnnergau, 10
grcut were The ravnges Of tho disease that
only two MasrleA coNplcs weru left 1T the
village. ,Tll0 pestfteMcH lIavlng broken out
III ODor-Anuergar, within thIrty.three days
nghty-four villagers died. The Inhabitants
then .,ssutnblet, and solcnl.l1y vowed TINT, X
God would take away tile pcstltellce, they
would perform tue passlon-Trngcdy every
tenth year from that time OH. Although a
number NJ PERSONS were suffering, hot one
tllure died or tic ptagilc. Iii tG4 tile plny
was first performed, md has been cunctel
every telisl year, with various Interruptions,
s!Mce tf,ut time"
Prior tn my departure from Ch!cugo Ind
oil several OCCASIONS made I'LL effort to tiud
tho location OIL tho map Ut this plncv,-but
without SUCCESS. And hot tlit[l my arrival
ut Munich wis really nb1o ~ locate It. I
Ind mentally resolved, should ever find the
place, 10 so toeatc II that lny person desiring
llay eusily do so.
OuEIl'ASfAtERGAU
Is located OH the l.ortlI side III tho Bavnriau
Mountains, about twU-tlIir.ls tho distance
from Munich to 1nsprl1ek. Tho traveller can
rul.cll It from either plnce, but casier By why
Of Munich, whciica BY tho Hayarlan lsalt.
ronl IL MltrilnN, the terminus OF tile
roud, nnl distant ,.tllty miles from
Munich, through, n ruli1n1 country heMusi-
The etlges. IT picturesque lakes, whose inur-
gins are ,iottcu with tic sntMnGr-reslt! !cnccs
Of tho wealthy mobility. Conspicuous n one
tstaSs sIs i thea; shs sastie Of tile reigns Khs Of
Frum 'A[nri,an to Obur-Au1nlcrgau, u dis
ta,cu uf seventeen miles, over q in0llntain-
roAd, Is accomplished by horsepower. .u,d
my kind Of conveyance the traveller Is for
solc very fair. outfits; but the risk Ut
travel 10, this remote spnt !s.
during TUG perfol,,'.nse ot the
nisil the rcquis1t nnMber III vehicles to
transport ut one tlltt NIL who le,.se the train
n,itl frnNticully rttsI, for Il yeut III something
or anything tilat Is OIL wtlecis. Those whO
fall to ObtMln conveyance II nble
MAKE THE JOURNEY ON FOOT,
for be II known that, tu tho petlsuntry OF Da-
vurln anu tie r'yrui, the esevcilteen;lnlle trump
IL but slnli part ot the tribulatlon thuy
WILL eleerFully Undergo to witness tho Pas
aloil-I'1ay. Nor nr! those who !,ny for u ride
entirely hnpRy, FIR en- ronto NrS some long
H. expected To scale on fnot.-su that reilly tn
NIL II good opportunity Ii olrrul tn practice
l4slcstrlnNsfIlp. Arriving nt Obur-4 ilfIterBnM,
tie TsnEy rayer tf fesk sss r. I pa q 80 s w., f
t!e poor bed md seaNty. covering.
Tile lirs, Impression 81 III .iilierlcal trnv-
cler on nwNkenils the next MorllsnE is, That
s.n t III Of s: "1y Eyss s ss s. int s 9sSSk e
through the valley, warning MI to gut reudy
f9r tho ply. At I o'clock Z baud Of lnusl-
alNl cltizo's, WHO repair to the CHURCH. where
Itl,lss IL snletnnIzed; after Which, promptly
ut ! ocluck, tho further d'schArglnE uf call
non announces that tle plAy Ii ABOUT to COM
inGiet.
Proceeding to
TIE PASSION THEATRE,
we find MI lnclos,lre surrounded by a high
board fence,-seats within elevated us they
recctlo from, tho stage: About one-thlrd Ut
tho sra}s ars eovsrsN bya , roKl! roof; the
cred by tho Sky only. In tho renr and centre
OF tic stnge il Il House with open front ,u,d
rpsftap ;Ssx e FFS s!s s ps5Ie s1S Gyi1 f o,ns is
ll,otlnte b,oOo persons. That part whicl!
would with us bu equivalent tt, tie partiMot
ls.wltnout coyerlug, lln( here the pt,usniiEry
IT. rni. q sllnv H,' sxSry ;lfik y, syery
Tho l'assi0n.1'lay fur l8SO was 0pt.iel uii
Mny ID, since whlell til,ie .:tghtuun pcrforn-