The Rough-and-Tumble Pomeranian: From Anecdote to Stereotype

The polenmARkT 2026 kicks off its next edition with a festive opening ceremony. In Greifswald, the festival once again brings together people, ideas, and perspectives from Poland and Germany, bringing the German-Polish cultural and academic exchange in the region to life. The opening evening will focus on academia, cultural imagery, and music: Prof. Dr. Bartosz Wójcik will take us on a surprising journey through the history of Pomerania, the XXVII. Sparkasse Vorpommern Sponsorship Award honors young scholars and outstanding contributions to German-Polish cooperation, and Ola Jas will open the evening with a musical performance featuring contemporary folk and folk jazz.

27th Sparkasse Vorpommern Award
A highlight of the evening is the presentationof the 27thSparkasse Vorpommern Award for German-Polish Cooperation at the University of Greifswald. The award specifically honors research conducted by young scholars that has emerged from German-Polish collaborations or makes a special contribution to the study and deepening of German-Polish relations. In addition, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to cooperation with Polish institutions at the University of Greifswald and in the surrounding area.

Short lecture with Prof. Dr. Bartosz Wójcik: “The Rough-and-Tumble Pomeranian: From Anecdote to Stereotype”
How does the image of a region and its inhabitants take shape—and why do certain perceptions persist for centuries? Prof. Dr. Bartosz Wójcik of the University of Szczecin addresses these questions in his new book *Grubiański Pomorzanin. Od anegdoty do imagotypu* (The Rough Pomeranian. From Anecdote to Stereotype), which was published late last year by the Pomeranian Library. Drawing on 36 literary and journalistic sources dating from the 17th century to the present, Wójcik traces the history of a surprisingly enduring image of the Pomeranians. From anecdotes, attributions, and clichés emerges a culturally shaped stereotype—a conception of how the inhabitants of a region are perceived and described. The image of the “unrefined” or “boorish” Pomeranian has accompanied the inhabitants of the Oder estuary for nearly half a millennium. We encounter it in prose, poetry, and drama, where it is constantly evolving. Wójcik shows how such cultural images arise, are passed down, and are reinterpreted—and what they reveal about a region’s self-perception and how it is perceived by others. His imagological search for clues offers a fascinating glimpse into regional identity, cultural transfer, and the power of narratives. It invites us to take a fresh look at supposedly familiar notions of Pomerania.
Bartosz Wójcik is a cultural and literary scholar, professor at the Institute for Literature and New Media at the University of Szczecin, and director of the Research Group on Regionalism and Border Areas. His research focuses on borders and border regions, the literary and cultural history of Pomerania, cultural transfer, and the narrativization of cultural landscapes.

Musical opening with Ola Jas
Ola Jas will provide the musical accompaniment with contemporary folk and folk jazz. Born in Warsaw in 1992, the singer, violinist, and songwriter blends jazz with elements of Brazilian, Portuguese, and African music, as well as folk, world music, and Slavic melancholy. Her compositions are at once melancholic, poetic, and full of creative energy. Ola Jas graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Music School in Warsaw and studied jazz vocals at the Henryk Majewski Jazz School. In 2018, she released her first EP; her debut album, created in collaboration with the Portuguese musician João de Sousa, was released in 2020.

Look forward to a festive kickoff featuring exciting perspectives on Pomerania, a celebration of German-Polish scholarship and collaboration, and music that transcends borders.