Expert clarified

Acquittal in Passion Play trial

The Passion Play only takes place in Oberammergau every ten years - now it was the subject of a trial.(Bild: Arno Declair)

A travel company's deal for tickets to the Oberammergau Passion Play collapsed due to coronavirus. Embezzlement was the issue. The Salzburg Provincial Court has now been able to clarify this with an expert opinion: It was not a criminal offense. 

In April 2023, the "Krone" reported on the trial against a German entrepreneur (51) living in Flachgau: The accusation was embezzlement and fraudulent crida. The man had run a travel agency and offered a British tour company a package for the Oberammergau Passion Play - a widely known play about the Passion of Christ that the Bavarians only perform every ten years.

Defendant had denied the allegations

But: 2020 was canceled due to Corona. Between 2017 and 2020, the entrepreneur had ordered 1,243 day tickets and 2,400 ticket arrangements for his customers and collected around one million euros from the British. After the insolvency, however, he is said to have only paid back half. The defense lawyer countered: "Every cent of the million can be proven in the accounts."

The court appointed an accountant as an expert witness. "According to the expert opinion, there are no indications of criminal acts," explained court spokeswoman Christina Bayrhammer. For this reason, a legally binding acquittal was handed down on Wednesday at the regional court.