PolenmARkT is the name of an association that organises the Polish Culture Days "polenmARkT" in the Hanseatic town of Greifswald and is associated with the Department of Slavonic Studies at the University of Greifswald. It is the largest annual festival of Polish culture outside of Germany.
The purpose of the association is to stimulate cultural exchange between the Hanseatic town of Greifswald, the Vorpommern region and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and neighbouring Poland through projects with a national and international reach. One of its main tasks is the organisation of the annual German-Polish culture and science festival "PolenmARkT" in Greifswald. Through the artistic and academic exploration of the different social realities, the association sees its cross-border work as a premium on promoting tolerance, the mutual reduction of prejudices and the growing together of peoples in the acceptance of cultural differences.
The History of the Organisation
The Polish Culture Days "polenmARkT" started in Greifswald in 1997 as a student initiative and has been organised as a ten-day festival every year in November ever since. Originally, it was just a cultural evening for foreign and German students to present Poland in all its cultural diversity. It quickly became much more. After 5 years of ambitious commitment, the organisers founded the polenmARkT e.V. association, whose first chairman was Prof. Christian Lübke from the Institute of Eastern European History. Since December 2009, Prof. Alexander Wöll from the Chair of East and West Slavic Literary History has held the chair. The polenmARkT is now a permanent component of the Greifswald event landscape.
Classical, Jazzy and Alternative
Preparations begin as early as January, when exciting programme ideas and sources of funding are sought. The programme is compiled in summer and autumn. The advertising machine is then set in motion. In November, the neighbouring country of Poland is represented in Greifswald with avant-garde and inspiring events. The festival is aimed at people of many different interests and ages. The annual music programme, for example, is classical, jazzy and alternative. The regular programme includes readings, journalistic and historical panel discussions, literary and artistic exhibitions, presentations of classic and present films, language and art workshops, cultural evenings, theatre and cabaret performances, information events about Poland as a place to study, academic lectures, parties, concerts and much more. There is also always something for the youngest visitors, such as animated film screenings and puppet theatre plays. The university cafeteria and the "S-Bar" spoil festival visitors with Polish delicacies.
Makers, Sponsors, Friends
The festival is prepared and run by the organisation team, which includes members of the association, dedicated students who take on tasks such as looking after guests and events, and representatives of the partner institutions. The organisers have succeeded in involving all the town's relevant cultural institutions in the festival. The most important partner institutions with which the festival programme is jointly created and implemented include the Literature Centre Vorpommern, the State Museum of Pomerania, the Hans Fallada Town Library, the Casablanca Film Club, the International Culture and Housing Project IKUWO, the St. Spiritus Socio-Cultural Centre, the Greifwald Youth Hostel, the Falladahaus, the Theatre Vorpommern, the Pomeranian Literature Society po.-lit., Medienwerkstatt and the Greifswald Slavonic Studies.
The annual organisation of the festival is only possible thanks to the financial and media support of sponsors who have remained loyal over the years, such as the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation, the Polish Institute of Berlin, Sparkasse Vorpommern and the University of Greifswald, the International Office and the Student Parliament of the University of Greifswald, the Greifswald Student Union, the Fleischervorstadt neighbourhood office, the University and Hanseatic town of Greifswald, the Cultural Officer for Pomerania at the State Museum of Pomerania and the Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald, which is hosting the opening evening.
The support of the media world is also of great importance. In addition to the student media, the festival is also covered by Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Baltic Sea-Zeitung, Nordkurier and friendly Polish media such as Kurier Szczeciński, Polskie Radio Szczecin and Telewizja Polska, Oddział Szczecin. However, the biggest supporter is the festival audience, which is growing from year to year.