In the 1920s, the Lower Bavarian town dreamed of becoming a nationally important passion play venue, similar to Oberammergau. The success was initially great, but hopes were quickly dashed.
Unemployment, inflation and political instability. These were the plagues that struck the population after the First World War. On the other hand, the concerns of religion proved to be somewhat stable. Rural Bavaria in particular was strongly influenced by Catholics at that time. And yet many people were torn between insisting on the conservative Catholic system of values and modern secularism, which was even evident in the passion play location Oberammergau. At the 1922 Passion Play there was an international flair like never before. “Omnibuses and cars – a rarity in Oberammergau at the time – filled the narrow streets with noise and unusual exhaust fumes,” Oberammergau native Ernst Maria Lang later recalled.