The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-16
OBERAMNERG.tU.
The Passion Play.
B S. - *s 4

By Rev. ]. Henry Harms, D. D., IN
Lutheran Church Visitor.
have seen the story that has trans
formed the world. have oTte2 heard
it, read it, preached it, dreamed 1t,
but last Sunday at ObeGamm"rgau I
saw il, and | think I can preach 1t
and hear it, and read it, all the bet
ter. now that my eyes have seen the
simple tragedy of the Passion OF our
Lord. One sees scores o. interesting
things in Europe. From Amsterdam
to Venice is one long succession Of
ynarvels bv the hand Of man and mar
yels bv the hand Of God. But one of
the most marvellous things to me has
been the reproduction of the Passion
story of our Lord by those simple
reasants in the Bavarian Alps. Per-
haps not one of those who had
part, and there were several hundred
who engaged in the performance
perhaps not a one of them-ever had
more than the training offered il the
village school. They never Sstudied
under any masters. One is their Mas
ter. and their art and grace and pow
er of portrayal are the fruit OF tnelr
love for Him.
Oberammergau is located in a pock-
ct of the Alps. One could scarcely
IMAGINE more unpretentious little
village. It is only as you glance out
of the train widow, as you approach
toward the large auditorium building
that YOU realize that however unpre-
tentious and obscure it may nave
been, it is now one of the centres OF
European tourist travel. There were
Sour thousand at the Passion Play on
Sunday. and four thousand again on
Monday, and to accommodate the
crowds who could not find room, the
performance was repeated to TOUR
thousand on Tuesday. The little VII
LACE is the place of the mlngllng Oh
Tho nations. The normal population
of the town is only fifteen hundred.
They are industrious, God-fearing ana
duty-loving people. 1t is said enat
there is not a grown man in the place
who is not a property owner. -Tne
Passion Play has brought the town
both profit and prominence. But be-
yond that they are industrious far
mers, and their droves Of cattle range
the mountain sides for miles. l per-
sonally met Judas" and his daugh-
ter MARY, the Mother of Christ" ana
<sMary Magdalene." I confess l was
afraid to meet these people. was
afraid I would find them-Well, too
human, too much like the run OF u.s.
gold-grubb bing, coarse, self-seeklng'
was charmed with them, with their
simple graciousness, and their honest
eve When we asked Judas" (Josepn
srhvink) if it was not hard to play
the part of traitor, tears came lnOo
the poor fellows eyes. Yes, it IS nara
to even seem traitor and hut 1or an
hour, if a man is true. was nor sur
nrised to ind this mans portrayal ol
aesna5r the next day one OF the most
tragic things have ever seen. Iney
sav that he went so far one time as
actua1lv to hang himself on the stage
and had to be cut down. Anton Lang
is potter: And he is one OF perhaps
a half dozen men I have known VINO
seem good enough to act the part OF
Christus in such play. All the AM
mergauans, and I met many OF them'
are more or less simple and sweet
hammered. One shudders with tear
for them, however This tremendous
tide Of foreigners to their streets and
bearthstones brings danger. 1t does
NOT augur we'll for Oberammergau to
see. for instance, a woman going ~
attend the Passion Play with a cigar
>ette in her mouth. For that matter II
does not augur we'll for any place or
people.
For hundreds of years these people
have been giving this play, every
tenth year, in obedience to a vow OF
gratitude for the stay Of plague. ou:-
ing the ten years previous to eacn
performance they prepare tor 1t Win
great care. The principal players are
selected by committee appointed oy
the community for that purpose. A
clean character is one of the lndlspen-
sable qualifications. The Play mas
npt premium on morals, without
doubt. The high ambition OF Ober-
ammergauan boys is to be the Chris
,tus.