ABSTRACT
Until today, the Oberammergau Passion play has not too often been the subject of an interdisciplinary edited volume. In this opening chapter, we briefly sketch the history of the Play and its transformations over the centuries, emphasizing the village’s ability to integrate new influences and to cope with external obstacles. Since the mid-19th century, the Passion play as well as its village have gained the status of a veritable trademark. Departing from the last postponement in 2020, we present our institutional theoretical framework for that metaphor and outline the problem – historical background (secularization, religiosity, and pluralization). Finally, we provide a thorough overview of the individual contributions.
