Passionsvereinigung Wintrich e.V.

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Passionsvereinigung Wintrich e.V. is an amateur theatre association in Wintrich on the Moselle, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, that stages the Wintricher Passion, a passion play performed in the village's parish church. Passion plays have been performed in Wintrich since 1902; the association was founded in 1995 to revive them, and they have since been staged about every five years.

History

The first passion play in Wintrich was performed in 1902, staged in a simple form by the local parish priest. Another production followed in 1927, and further productions were given at five-year intervals until 1952, interrupted by the Second World War. For the post-war production of 1947, villagers collected schnapps, wine, fat, eggs and other goods to hire costumes from the municipal theatre in Trier. The tradition ended in 1952, according to the association for lack of suitable rooms and because of the rise of television. According to a television report, the proceeds of the early productions went towards the renovation of the church.

The Passionsvereinigung Wintrich e.V. was founded on 7 June 1995 on the initiative of the village's theatre club. During Lent 1997 it gave 15 performances of the Wintricher Passion in the parish church, followed by a larger production in the centenary year 2002, after which the five-year cycle was resumed. In 2007 Wintrich hosted the Europassion, and the association reported more than 8,000 spectators. The German and English Wikipedia articles on Wintrich give the figure of 8,000 visitors for the centenary production instead. The production due in 2022 was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and took place in 2024.

The 2024 season opened on 9 March 2024 and ran until May, with performances lasting about four hours including two intervals. According to a report by the regional television programme 17:30 Live, it comprised 23 performances with around 80 amateur actors, all roles multiply cast, and a choir of 65 singers, most of them from the surrounding area; rehearsals took about a year. The association has about 350 members.

Repertoire

The association performs a single work, the Wintricher Passion, which depicts episodes from the life of Jesus up to the crucifixion; besides the actors, the production involves a choir and a group of children.

Productions (incomplete)

Year	Title	Notes
1902		First passion play in Wintrich, staged by the parish priest
1927
1947		First post-war production; costumes hired from the municipal theatre in Trier
1952		Last production before a break of 45 years
1997	Wintricher Passion	15 performances during Lent
2002	Wintricher Passion	Centenary production
2007	Wintricher Passion	Europassion held in Wintrich
2024	Wintricher Passion	23 performances, March to May; postponed from 2022

Venue

The plays are performed in the Catholic parish church of St. Stephanus in Wintrich, which has remained the venue throughout; the audience sits close to the stage.

Organisation

Between seasons the association organises activities for its members; on 14 November 2026 it planned an open day in the Festhalle Vindriacum, held jointly with the local carnival club, with stations presenting areas such as make-up, costume and catering in order to recruit new members and helpers.