The origins of the play began in 1633, when the residents of Oberammergau vowed that if they were spared from the bubonic plague sweeping the region, they would produce a play for all time depicting the life and death of Jesus. When the death rate began to subside, the villagers decided they had been spared. The first play was performed in 1634, and it has run over a decade ever since, with the five-month run in 2022 marking its forty-second performance. It’s the world’s longest-running play and widely regarded as the most important Passion Play in the world.
