Winter
The Ischl nativity play is Upper Austria’s oldest religious folk play.
The text was first published in the 'Sammlung alter Hirtenlieder und Weihnachtsspiele' by St. Florian canon Wilhelm Pailler in 1880. The publisher refers to an Ischl codex dating back to 1654 which is unfortunately missing.
The Linz federal museum holds a codex dating back to 1725 – this is the oldest known version of the Ischl nativity play. Once, the Ischl nativity play was even performed on the Emperor’s birthday on August 18 (!) 1870.
For many years the text of the Ischl nativity play had been lost; it was rediscovered in 1922 only. In 1922/23 the nativity play could thus be staged again together wit the music Vockner composed for it.
After WWII the Ischl Folk Theatre has taken up this tradition again. Now the Ischl nativity play is staged every four years.
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