Passion Plays & Festival Erl
- In 2013: 400th anniversary of the Erl Passion Plays.
- New text by Felix Mitterer
- On request: English scene explanations during the performance via headphones. (Registration required)
- Anniversary exhibition on the Passion Plays in the art space of the Passion Playhouse. (Free admission)
- 1,500 visitors can follow the performance from the rising rows of seats.
- Every six years, around 600 amateur actors from the municipality of Erl (population 1,450) actively take part in the Passion Play.
- Erl is the oldest Passion Play venue in the German-speaking world.
“We know from old traditions that in 1613, Bavarian pilgrims travelling to Altötting—making the journey by boat on the River Inn—attended an Easter play on the Scheiben, a district of Erl located near the Inn. It is certain that at that time they were performed in gratitude for God’s protection and help against illness, plague and the dangers of war. This marks the beginning of the history of the Erl Passion Plays. Performances took place at various venues. The current, unheated Passion Playhouse, with its unique architecture and acoustics, was built solely for staging the Passion Plays and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.”
Characteristic of the Erl production:
- a distinctive staging of the Stations of the Cross
- a contemporary, modern text
- Passion music composed especially for the production, performed live by choir and orchestra
Information about the Passion Plays
History of the Passion Playhouse
At the beginning of the previous century, Erl had a Passion Playhouse with seating for 1,700 spectators. It was built between 1909 and 1911 and was located in the “Weidau” district. This performance barn was destroyed by a fire in 1933.
The current Passion Playhouse was built between 1957 and 1959 to plans by architect Robert Schuller and can be regarded as an acoustic and architectural masterpiece. It blends harmoniously into the landscape and extends the mountains into the plain in a spiral form.
Its extraordinary, bold shape has made the building a striking landmark of Erl.
Austria’s largest stalls theatre offers seating for 1,500 visitors. The stage, 25 metres wide, with its platform and stepped construction, provides a highly impressive setting for the 500 performers in the Passion Play.
Since 1997, our visitors have been able to refresh themselves before the performance or during the interval in the newly built buffet area.
In 2003, the art space at the Passion Playhouse was opened—an event venue for around 150 visitors.
During the renovation from Oct. 2006 to April 2007, the following were renewed: sanitary facilities for visitors, orchestra pit with lifting platform, substructure of the main stage, auditorium—induction loop and flooring, lighting gantries, exterior design, basement room under the donkey ramp, kiosk, electrical installations and ventilation system, cloakrooms, and stairwell renovation. (Contractor: general contractor Strabag)
From October 2010 to November 2012, major construction took place in Erl: the Festival Hall—the orchestra and choir academy, singers, members of the directing team, set design, costume department, administration and technical staff of the Tyrolean Festival Erl—all of them were given a new shared home. The Festival Hall is a second stage for the Tyrolean Festival Erl in summer and the only venue in Passion Play years and for the Tyrolean Festival Erl in winter.
Information about the Erl Festival
The Waller family & the Keindl team will be happy to assist you with any questions.
