2020 June 18-19: Oberammergau Passion Play Trip

As of March 19, 2020:  The Passion Plays have been cancelled for 2020 and will not be performed until 2022.  Refunding of ticket money will occur.

Date is firm:  Thursday, June 18, 2020!!

As you've read, 2020 is the year that Gau-NA is invited to attend the Bayerischer Löwe and the 100th Anniversary of d'Ammertaler Diessen in Diessen, Bayern (June 13-14). Our Gau-NA Ehrenmitglied and Trachtenkamerad Sepp Kaindl from Diessen is going to great lengths to arrange a once-in-a-lifetime travel possibility for us on either June 18 or June 19, namely, attending the Passion Play in Oberammergau, about 1.5 hours from Diessen. 

What are the Passion Plays? If you've never heard of them, do some research on the internet or click on link above.  Here's the nutshell version: every 10 years only, the entire town of Oberammergau has put on a day-long play about the Passion of Christ in gratefulness for having survived the bubonic plaque in the 1600s. The play has been performed in every year ending in "0" since that time--2020 will be the 42nd year.  This play is considered one of the most important events in German culture. Over 2000 people, nearly half the village, take part in the production, which runs five days a week for five months (May-October). The dramatic play consists of dialog, singing, and music; the costuming is stunning.  For 2020, Oberammergau is expecting over 450,000 visitors from all over the world. Visitors sit in a covered open-air theater that holds 4500 people.

Sepp Kaindl is going to arrange for the tickets and the bus trip. See the attachment (link below) for more detail about the schedule.  The bus is expected to be only 15 Euros round trip; tickets, depending on what category, will run from $133-$210 per person for the best 3 categories.  There are 3 other categories as well but the seats are not as good.  The categories depend on where the seats are in the theater.  Advanced tickets go on sale in early 2019(!) and Sepp is trying to get a block of 50 tickets for the date that most prefer. Tickets are quite difficult to come by, even very far in advance; hence the need to commit so early. To help him in his planning, he'd like to get an estimate of how many people are planning to attend.  We know it's not easy to plan this far in advance, but if you are interested in attending the Passion Play, please fill out the survey (link below) to the best of your knowledge. Sepp will then work on getting the preferred tickets and date.  We're not yet sure how the financial end of this will happen, but it will get worked out!

Here's what we'd like you to do -- the sooner, the better.

• Review the invitation and brochure  (view online or download) 
• Answer the 8-question survey (only if there is a strong likelihood that you will be attending the Passion Play)
• Spread the word to those you think will be interested or will be attending the events in Diessen!