Neumarkter Passionsspiele

The Neumarkt Passion Play is a passion play in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, which shows the last 5 days in the life of Jesus Christ.

The origin of this game lies in the 17th century: In the context of today's recatholicization Oberpfalz the Capuchin Order in Neumarkt began with the performance of such games, so as to bring the population closer to the Catholic faith again. Until 1793 Passion Plays were held in a 10 -year cycle. The texts of this play were lost.

It was only in 1901 attacked the Catholic Journeymen's Association, the forerunner of today's Kolping family, this tradition and started again with a passion play performance.

After the First World War, the re- performance of the game has been prepared at the beginning of the 1920s. The Neumarkt German Mayr wrote a new screenplay and also directed at the Games in 1922, found here 23 performances. In addition, the games should be played as originally shown in a fixed rhythm, more performances were scheduled for 1927 and 1932. The political and economic circumstances of the time prevented this, however.

In 1959 and 1964 succeeded the reissue by the Kolping family. Kaspar Hirsch Beck, former pastor of St. John, revised in the early 1980s German Mayr's text and also took into account numerous statements of the Second Vatican Council. This version was in 1984 and 1989 lists, with the aim now to repeat the games every 10 years.

For the performances 1999 Neumarkt teacher Hans Georg brain underwent the game a thorough revamp. Taking into account the latest historical and theological insights he reached back to the German version of Mayr and added it in places.

Passion Play 2009

The Passion Play 2009 listed from February 28 to April 10 in the Little Jurassic hall with approximately 1000 seats, more than 400 amateur actors, stage designers and makeup artists worked with. The patronage of the bishop of Eichstätt, Gregor Maria Hanke.