Oberammergau in the Nazi Era: The Fate of a Catholic Village in Hitler’s Germany

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. On the other hand, she also shows that the play mirrored the Gospel-based anti-Semitism endemic to Western culture. As a local study of the rise of Nazism and the Nazi era, Waddy’s work is an important contribution to a growing genre. As a collective biography, it is a fascinating and moving portrait of life at a time when, as Thomas Mann wrote, “every day hurled the wildest demands at the heart and brain.”

Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date Published: 2010
Book Condition: near fine hardcover with minor corner and spine bumping to covers. Otherwise, an unmarked copy internally.