International Hansa Days Kaunas 2011 - part 1
International Hansa Days Kaunas 2011 are over. This is probably the biggest festival held in this town in history. Four days of nearly 24 hours of concerts, shows , etc. non-stop are over. All fairy-tales one day finishes ... But the days were very good . This is first part of my impressions:
In 1980 several German towns decided to organize the annual festivity to commemorate the ancient merchant union - Hansa union (this union proclaimed very similar principles to the European economic community :))). It was the Cold war period and the post-WWII Germany - which is particularly sensitive and even obsessed to the peaceful solutions and international cooperation - decided that such shows could make some contribution to the international peace and international cooperation. First of course only towns and cities from the western part of the continent began to take part in the shows, later towns from Eastern Germany joined and finally after 1990 all cities and towns which somehow are related with that ancient merchant union joined the New Hansa union. Each year in a different town-member are organized International Hansa days (Internationale HansaTage). It means that delegations from all those 176 cities, towns and townships comes to the host-town. And each year the host-town is different. In the year 2011 31st International Hansa days of modern era were held here :) The Hansa days has two parts - official and business part and the festival part. In official part authorities and businesspeople are talking while for the ordinary people the festivity part is seen better.
Politicians treats these days seriously: days were opened by the President of the Republic but even the more important fact is that in Kaunas to Hansa days arrived German vice-minister of foreign affairs (not counting the prime-ministers of some German lands, burgomeisters of various German cities and mayors and official delegations from other countries). That part of course isn't seen for the ordinary residents. We saw big big fiesta: I counted at least 16 different stages were artists and performers from various countries presented their shows, for the first time I saw all backstreets of our Old town occupied by various salesmen, craftsmen, etc. And the celebration went far outside the Old town occupying large parts of the center also. This was the really largest festival held here (and probably in whole Lithuania) in my life :)
So let's start to see some views that we were happy to see :)
Even the public transport these days carried special flags :)
Only small part of the crowd seeing the paladins fights:
Hansa can't exist without ships. Today the ships arrived here by land:))
The motto of this year celebrations was seen in various places - "To remember - to preserve - to restore - to be proud of":
Such views were rather typical during days:
Probably the largest part of foreign arrivals were Germans. From neighboring countries guests and participants arrived using buses:
Modern chevaliers from Italy :))
The International Hansa days 2012 will be held in German town Luneburg. The representatives of this town actively invited to arrive next year to Luneburg:
Old fire brigade car used to advertise drinks :))
Even the deepest backsides of the old town were occupied:
The improvised medieval town - how without bears :)
Medieval warriors on a march:
Paramedics :)
Delegation of vikings arrived to the Kaunas town hall :))
Russian Tsar and Tsaritsa :)) (in fact high ranking official from one the Russian towns):
Sellers of the local chocolate : oh they are too late. In XVIIIth century Hansa not existed :))
Oh those shoes and instruments of the German group Scharlatan:)
Another group from Germany - playing hunting horns:
Even the youngest felt the atmosphere of the celebration:
Performance of the firefighters orchestra from the Norwegian town of Bergen:
Executioners from the Swedish town of Visby:
Improvised stage and a funny group of German pensioners performing :))
Band from Velikij Novgorod in Russia:
Children making something :)) I don't know what :))
The biggest winners - the local restaurateurs and cafemans - even the typically empty backside cafes were crowded :
If you find empty place - let's use it for the show :))
Ok, that's enough for today. Paladin fights, pig crosses , medieval tournaments and fireworks next time :))
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In 1980 several German towns decided to organize the annual festivity to commemorate the ancient merchant union - Hansa union (this union proclaimed very similar principles to the European economic community :))). It was the Cold war period and the post-WWII Germany - which is particularly sensitive and even obsessed to the peaceful solutions and international cooperation - decided that such shows could make some contribution to the international peace and international cooperation. First of course only towns and cities from the western part of the continent began to take part in the shows, later towns from Eastern Germany joined and finally after 1990 all cities and towns which somehow are related with that ancient merchant union joined the New Hansa union. Each year in a different town-member are organized International Hansa days (Internationale HansaTage). It means that delegations from all those 176 cities, towns and townships comes to the host-town. And each year the host-town is different. In the year 2011 31st International Hansa days of modern era were held here :) The Hansa days has two parts - official and business part and the festival part. In official part authorities and businesspeople are talking while for the ordinary people the festivity part is seen better.
Politicians treats these days seriously: days were opened by the President of the Republic but even the more important fact is that in Kaunas to Hansa days arrived German vice-minister of foreign affairs (not counting the prime-ministers of some German lands, burgomeisters of various German cities and mayors and official delegations from other countries). That part of course isn't seen for the ordinary residents. We saw big big fiesta: I counted at least 16 different stages were artists and performers from various countries presented their shows, for the first time I saw all backstreets of our Old town occupied by various salesmen, craftsmen, etc. And the celebration went far outside the Old town occupying large parts of the center also. This was the really largest festival held here (and probably in whole Lithuania) in my life :)
So let's start to see some views that we were happy to see :)
Even the public transport these days carried special flags :)
Only small part of the crowd seeing the paladins fights:
Hansa can't exist without ships. Today the ships arrived here by land:))
The motto of this year celebrations was seen in various places - "To remember - to preserve - to restore - to be proud of":
Such views were rather typical during days:
Probably the largest part of foreign arrivals were Germans. From neighboring countries guests and participants arrived using buses:
Modern chevaliers from Italy :))
The International Hansa days 2012 will be held in German town Luneburg. The representatives of this town actively invited to arrive next year to Luneburg:
Old fire brigade car used to advertise drinks :))
Even the deepest backsides of the old town were occupied:
The improvised medieval town - how without bears :)
Medieval warriors on a march:
Paramedics :)
Delegation of vikings arrived to the Kaunas town hall :))
Russian Tsar and Tsaritsa :)) (in fact high ranking official from one the Russian towns):
Sellers of the local chocolate : oh they are too late. In XVIIIth century Hansa not existed :))
Oh those shoes and instruments of the German group Scharlatan:)
Another group from Germany - playing hunting horns:
Even the youngest felt the atmosphere of the celebration:
Performance of the firefighters orchestra from the Norwegian town of Bergen:
Executioners from the Swedish town of Visby:
Improvised stage and a funny group of German pensioners performing :))
Band from Velikij Novgorod in Russia:
Children making something :)) I don't know what :))
The biggest winners - the local restaurateurs and cafemans - even the typically empty backside cafes were crowded :
If you find empty place - let's use it for the show :))
Ok, that's enough for today. Paladin fights, pig crosses , medieval tournaments and fireworks next time :))
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