The “polenmARkT” Festival in Greifswald

Concert by Magda Piskorczyk on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the „polenmARkT“-Festivals 2017
Concert by Magda Piskorczyk on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the „polenmARkT“-Festivals 2017

This all began in the second half of the 1990s, when PhD students and students of Slavic Studies got together over a beer after their lectures at the student club “Tschaika”, not far from the main building of the Ernst Moritz Arndt University. Among those present at these get-togethers was Karin Ritthaler, a lecturer in Polish studies who had been working at the university for a year, and who was amazed that in this town that was so close to the Polish border, there was so little contact to the neighbouring country. To remedy this, in 1997 she decided to hold a Polish evening in “Tschaika” with her students. The evening was so successful with such keen interest that Ritthaler spoke to the rector of Greifswald University to suggest the idea of establishing a whole week of events in the town to promote Polish culture. This proposal was approved and in November 1998 the first Polish cultural week was held. A year later, the name “polenmARkT” was established. It was a reference to the cheap bazaars which were popular at the time and which in Germany were generally associated with Poles. The festival organisers used this cliché so that they could challenge it and give it new meaning by inviting the town’s inhabitants to visit a Polish art market. 

From the start, the festival was organised by just a few volunteers. But the increasingly impressive programme of the ten-day event with its varied offering soon meant that, despite the great commitment shown by those running the event, a legal framework had to be created to facilitate the financing of the programme. This institutionalisation started when the polenmARkt became an association - “polenmARkT e.V.”. Despite this, every year finding the means to put on the festival is still a demanding responsibility for the event organisers. There is still no long-term financing, and funding applications made to various institutions are not always successful, despite the festival being of some renown. Some foundations pull out of sponsoring once they have been won over because their articles of association state that they should preferably not support recurring events. 

 

Media library
  • polenmARkT 2017

    Opening of the 20th “polenmARkT” festivals in 2017.
  • Reading with the journalist Włodzimierz Nowak

    Reading with the journalist Włodzimierz Nowak, whose writings include stories from the German-Polish border entitled “Die Nacht von Wildenhagen” (Polish: “Obwód głowy”), 2016.
  • "Kasia Bortnik Trios" concert

    Kasia Bortnik Trios concert at the 22nd “polenmARkT“ Festival 2019.
  • Reading with Emilia Smechowski

    Reading with Emilia Smechowski, author of the book “Wir Strebermigranten”, 2017.
  • Making piroggi

    Making piroggi together in a cooking course at the “polenmARkT” Festival 2016.
  • The “polenmARkT e.V.” stand

    The “polenmARkT e.V.” stand at the meeting of non-governmental organisations “Unter den Platanen” (Pod Platanami) in Szczecin, 2018.
  • First football tournament under the patronage of the “polenmARkTs”

    First football tournament under the patronage of the “polenmARkTs”. Czarni 44 Szczecin against SV 90 Görmin, July 2018.
  • Concert by Magda Piskorczyk

    Concert by Magda Piskorczyk on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the „polenmARkT“-Festivals 2017.
  • Reading with the author and publicist Matthias Kneip

    Reading with the author and publicist Matthias Kneip at the “polenmARkT 2017”.
  • Performance by the Szczecin Theater KANA

    Performance by the Szczecin Theater KANA of the play entitled “Vater” (Polish: “Projekt Ojciec”), 2017.
  • Exhibition on the fate of Polish forced labourers

    Exhibition on the fate of Polish forced labourers in Lübeck, 2013.
  • Preview of the exhibition with posters

    Preview of the exhibition with posters of all the previous “polenmARkT” Festival, 2017. 
  • A performance

    A performance on the occasion of the “polenmARkT” Festivals 2013.
  • Poster of the “polenmARkT”

    Poster of the “polenmARkT” Festival 2011.
  • Poster of the 15th “polenmARkT” Festival

    Poster of the 15th “polenmARkT” Festival 2012.
  • Poster of the “polenmARkT” Festival

    Poster of the “polenmARkT” Festival 2015.