performances happen every 6 years

delegations attend passion play

Škofja Loka, Slovenia – Delegations from across the Douzelage membership recently attended performances of the UNESCO World Heritage Event “The Passion Play” in our Slovenian partner town of Škofja Loka.

Traditionally taking place every 6 years, the Škofja Loka Passion Play is one of Slovenia’s most important cultural and historical traditions, and the oldest preserved dramatic text in the Slovene language. First performed in 1721 by Capuchin monk Father Romuald, the play is a large-scale open-air procession through the medieval streets of Škofja Loka, depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ.

The official Bad Kötzting delegation with Škofja Loka Mayor Tine Radinja and Miha Ješe

The 2026 performances saw more than 1,200 local volunteers in roles from cast to crew to extras and by the time its run concludes, will have been witnessed by around 30,000.

In recognition of its outstanding cultural value and living heritage, it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.

A 45 strong group travelled from German partner town Bad Kötzting including a 13 member official delegation representing the municipality consisting of Mayor Markus Hofmann, town councilor and founding Douzelage member Wolfgang Kerscher with his wife Agathe, town councilor Ludwig Kern with his wife Kerstin, parish priest Thomas Winderl, the town’s organizer and Douzelage coordinator Manuela Kraus with her husband Patrick, Douzelage member Corinna Hacker with her partner Julian Bauer, and youth council members Stefan Pielmeier, Lukas Fischer, and Ali Alamir Hasan. All participants were delighted by the hospitality of their Slovenian twin town and deeply impressed by the monumental staging of the Passion Play.

Douzelage delegations with Mayor Tine Radinje, Miha Ješe and Jernej Tavcar (pic Denys Shay)

The following weekend delegations from Bundoran (IE), Meerssen (NL), Holstebro (DK), Judenburg (AT), Sherborne (UK) and Siret (RO) attended the Saturday night event and were equally impressed by the performance. The trip also consisted of a concert held in St Mary’s Church performed by the Škofja Loka Amadeo Orchestra with the centrepiece being the “Mother Violin” – an instrument created from a 6,500 year old piece of wood found at Triglav National Park – played beautifully by Ana Julija Mlejnik Železnik. The group was also treated to an exclusive tour of the nearby Capuchin Monastery which holds the original manuscript of the Passion Play, a facsimile of which was on display.