With the passion plays of 1950 an exhibition is connected with the title "1000 years Christian art in the indication of the passion '. Already in this title it shows up that the restaurative thought wide-spread in Germany held, also in Oberammergau introduction. No one wants a new start, but simply move on, where one stopped before this "terrible Intermezzo '. Characteristically for this mind is also the re-election of the mayor Raimund in the year 1950. 1970 Wilm Sanders still doubts the necessity for changes: "already before 1970 the controversy over the passion play text in the public caught fire. The reproaches became louder, this play are discriminating for the Jews. Against all historical logic the plays were 1950 without such criticism remained, also 1960 were the reproaches still scarcely audible."[1 ]
Otto Huber in an unpublished writing proved that despite substantial criticism on the part of the press and the criticism already using after 1950 by Jewish organizations at the quality and the anti-Semitic tendency of the text and the direction, neither at the production nor at the text changes are made. Only the passion music of Rochus Dedler becomes from the native Oberammergauer Professor Eugen Pope (1886-1956) already for the passion plays of 1950 fundamental revised.[2 ]
1962 the Oberammergauer mayor Raimund Lang convened a "advisory committee regarding the question of a change of text of the Oberammergauer Passion play' under the direction of Dr. Clemens Graf Podewil (academy of fine arts). In one of the meetings Carl Orff brings in the suggestion to fall back to the "Passio Nova" of 1750 of the padre Ferdinand Rosner. He explains himself ready to procure the music for it. The suggestion meets agreement in the committee and also in the local council.
1966 determine the local council Hans Schwaighofer as a play leader for 1970 and decide for a public sample performance on the basis of the Rosner text.
1967 the local council decides against the sample performance. Schwaighofer steps back as a play leader.[3 ]
1970 under loud criticism from the outside the past version without drastic changes is brought to the performance . The conservative forces celebrate their success with a book with a characteristic sub-title "peoples heard the signals". Therein e.g. is a quote from a letter of an American mannequin: "the protest from Jewish side should be ignored. Not a word of the Bible may be touched, to calm down the ignorant ones."[4 ] she confounded in awkward way contents of the Bible with contents of the Oberammergauer of passion plays.
Someone else calls all critics destroyer: "Humans of good will from this side and beyond the ocean had understood that today freedom of religion spirit and conscience must be defended actively:
- against the hate and cynicism of church-hostile and atheistic circles, which want to knock the faith out of everybody
- and against the work of a minority from the inside, which calls itself progressively, critically, democratically and prepares the self destruction of churches and Christianity."[5 ]
This kind of the polemik create deep ditches within Oberammergau. Nevertheless the discussion did not come off any longer for succumbing and thus succeeds it approximately large of resistances finally 1977 a "Rosner sample ' to bring also within Oberammergau. But the attempt throughout positively evaluated by press, church and Jewish organizations, is by the majority rejected within Oberammergau. Thus all reform beginnings are again shifted on indefinite time. Only for the passion 1990 succeeds setting the young Christian Stueckl for the progressive forces in the local council of Oberammergau as new play leader through. Although it stands outside of the discussion around "Rosner", it is a guarantor for the formal and contentwise advancement of the passion.