Year 2005

1st Hanseatic Festival

Goleniów in medieval times was an important trade hub in Western Pomerania. The city thrived thanks to a busy river port that brought goods from the farthest corners of Europe to the city and its surroundings. This was largely due to Goleniów’s membership in the Hanseatic League, a merchant guild active from the 14th to the 17th century. In light of this historical significance, the city authorities decided to organize a multi-day urban festival on an unprecedented scale for the small town in Western Pomerania.

During the festival, Teatr Brama carried out a large-scale city-wide project. The town was “divided” into two separate states: “Golów” and “Eniów,” with the Ina River serving as the border. For the entire event, Brama stationed themselves on the bridge on Szczecińska Street, animating, performing, and driving the storyline of the festival. A border crossing was set up on the bridge, and visitors could voluntarily participate in the event. Some of Brama’s actors acted as border guards, issuing passports to residents who wanted to cross to the other side of the bridge (it’s worth noting that only one sidewalk was closed to general traffic). Over the three days of the festival, approximately 20,000 passports were issued.

The storyline revolved around a conflict between the two states, with new episodes of the narrative performed on a barricade set up on the bridge. The event culminated in a symbolic wedding between lovers from opposite sides of the river.

This event also led to the recruitment of Maciej “Mały” Ratajczyk, who later became one of Brama’s most significant actors. Along with his middle school friends, he threw tires from the barricade into the river. Caught in the act, he was given an ultimatum by Daniel (as recounted by Mały): “Listen, buddy, either you dive into the river to retrieve those tires, or you show up for workshops in September!” He chose the latter—and went on to appear in six of Brama’s productions.

VII BRAMAT

BRAMAT 2005 continued the format from the previous year. Teatr Brama did not present any of its own productions during the festival. However, organizational issues began to surface. Daniel spent more time with festival guests than with the organizing team, which resulted in mild chaos. For example, the schedule sometimes failed to account for the time needed to set up and dismantle performances, leading to significant delays.

On the bright side, this chaos pushed the organizing group toward independence. It marked the beginnings of a team-oriented approach, where responsibility was shared rather than placed on a single person. This spirit of partnership, mutual trust, and shared accountability shaped Brama’s work ethic.

This was also the last BRAMAT held in Goleniów until 2008.

Statistics:

• Events: 22
  • Performances: 19
    • Niedobre oblicza – 4
    • Przekleństwo – 3
    • Poszukiwacze szczęścia – 11
  • Concerts: 1
  • Other events: 2