Hanza Kaunas 2011

Hanseatic Towns’ Union revives in international festivals

Kaunas turning to a medieval town may become a new original attraction for tourists.

In 2011, the international festival of the Hanseatic Towns' Union will be organised in Kaunas. However, the town councillor Justinas Krėpšta, who took part in the council-board of the Hanseatic Towns' Union in Osnabruke, Germany, last week, is convinced that the festival requires starting to prepare for it immediately.

Each year in a different town

Krėpšta says notes that the international festival organised in a different town each year is the second most important European cultural programme after the European cultural capital. The festival promotes tourism and popularises the new routes of the cultural tourism. What is more, as soon as the influential councils of the Hanseatic Towns' Union, which at the moment unites 156 member-cities, approves of the cultural project, the European funds are practically guaranteed.

Since Kaunas reactivated its membership of the Union's council two years ago, it was entrusted to organise the Hanseatic Days in 2011. The fact that at the moment the council is selecting the candidates for organising the festival of the 2030s proves the festival to be grandiose and of high-budget. Krėpšta together with other councillors of the Hanseatic Union debriefed the representative of Tartu city. Krėpšta concludes that the budget for the festival makes 1.5 million litas and representatives of 70 towns participating together with the cultural entertainments and cultural inheritance.

Prosperous medieval towns united

The Baltic Sea consolidated the coasts and united people living there for centuries. In former times, the routes of Slav trade people, Vikings and pirates used to cross here. The Baltic States not only developed by exchanging goods but also by sharing cultural values.

Hansa is a commercial-political union of North German, Prussia and Livonia of the 13th -17th centuries. Hansa influenced the Baltic region hundreds of years in the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, the union comprised 160 towns in 10 countries. Kaunas is the sole city in Lithuania that can be proud of being the member of the well-known union of Hansa towns.

Though Krėpšta believes that the Hanseatic Days to be organised in 2011 is a perfect chance to attract tourists and promote the country to European extent, still it is not enough to write an impressive scenario with an eye to fascinate foreigners. It is also important to float the Hanseatic idea among the townspeople.

Spectacle to be staged on the water

This year is the first time that the medieval festival "Hansa Kaunas 2005" was organised in the town. The event is special for reminding of the glorious days of the medieval Kaunas. The organisers' company "Pramogos Jums" seized the opportunity of the repair of Aleksotas Bridge by offering attractions along the section of Karaliaus Mindaugo Avenue. Unfortunately, this year the festival revealed that the townspeople have too little knowledge of the Hansa Union and its relation to Kaunas.
The company "Pramogos Jums" is determined to fill the informational gap. It is planned to organise the second festival that is going to be of greater dimensions. According to Darius Rumšas, the director of the company "Pramogos Jums", the event should take place in Nemunas Quay beside Vytautas Church. Here the medieval town with craft yards will spring up, the townspeolpe will be offered ancient entertainment and attractions. The purpose-made spectacle staged on the water will crown the festival; the scenario of the spectacle is known already, i.e. pirates attack a trading ship. In the evening, the section of Nemunas along the whole Old Town will be illuminated by the fire show.

The information source Kauno diena.