Oberammergau in the Nazi Era

Download or read book Oberammergau in the Nazi Era written by Helena Waddy and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-05-12 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her study of Oberammergau, the Bavarian village famous for its decennial passion play, Helena Waddy argues against the traditional image of the village as a Nazi stronghold. She uses Oberammergau's unique history to explain why and how genuinely some villagers chose to become Nazis, while others rejected Party membership and defended their Catholic lifestyle. She explores the reasons for which both local Nazis and their opponents fought to protect the village's cherished identity against the Third Reich's many intrusive demands. She also shows that the play mirrored the Gospel-based anti-Semitism endemic to Western culture.