Located in the south of Germany, not far from the Austrian border, Oberammergau is adorably charismatic and charming. The streets are lined with half-timbered houses whose window boxes are filled with bright red flowers. Many of the buildings are adorned with ‘lüftlmalerei’, ornate fresco-like paintings on the outer walls, intended to show the religious beliefs of the residents or family occupation. Since Oberammergau is a deeply religious city, many of the paintings depict saints or other characters from the Bible. However, two houses, nicknamed the ‘Red Riding Hood House’ and the ‘Hansel and Gretel House’, are colorfully painted with children and are said to have inspired the classic fairy tales of the same name.

Oberammergau is also home to some of Germany’s most talented woodcarvers. These thriving small businesses offer exquisite hand and machine cut plates, bowls, decorative items, toys and religious icons. Visitors can not only browse a store’s selection, but also watch as the resident master creates a work of art from a simple block of wood. The fresh scent of sawdust and wood shavings lingers in the air around the stores as if luring customers with an exclusive perfume.

For all its charm and beauty, Oberammergau’s magnetism is its emotional Passion Play. In the dark days of the Thirty Years War, the small town saw Europe fall victim to an even tougher enemy: the plague. This threat brutally devastated home after home, community after community, city after city, leaving almost no one in its wake. As this Black Death crept upon Oberammergau’s borders and its population began to feel its grip, the city cried out to a higher power for help. Not wanting to be erased as other places had been, the citizens made a solemn promise to God: the desperate prayer of a desperate people. They swore that if God saved the people from him, they would reenact the story of Christ’s death and resurrection every ten years as a commemoration of his mercy. They made this last deal in 1633 and by 1634 they were ready to honor their deal. Although Oberammergau lost some to the deadly disease, the city as a whole escaped extinction and Passion Play began its long history. Its first performance was held in the city cemetery, perhaps so that even the last victims of the plague could see this promise fulfilled. Even now, in these modern times when religion sometimes breaks down, the citizens of Oberammergau refuse to tempt fate and remain true to the word of their ancestors. His beautiful rendition of ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ runs for six hours and is presented in an all-weather outdoor theater.

Quaint and forever grateful, Oberammergau takes its promises very seriously. The next ‘installation’ of that promise is scheduled for May-September 2010.

See more of Europe’s hidden treasures in “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal” by Vicki Landes and available on Amazon.com. http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com