In 2025, the Kashubian Institute in Gdańsk, in cooperation with the Pomeranian Chamber of Craft for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Museum of Gdańsk, with the support of Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie, launched efforts to have the craft traditions and cultural practices associated with the St Dominic's Fair added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
TAKE PART IN THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION
On 20 March 2026 at 5:30 pm at the Museum of Gdańsk, at ul. Długa 46/47, in the Town Hall Room a public consultation will be held, during which you will be able to share your opinion, story and view on the traditions of St Dominic's Fair.
Join us for the meeting – your voice matters!
What is intangible cultural heritage?
Intangible cultural heritage is everything that we pass down from generation to generation – traditions and oral expressions, including language; performing arts, customs, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; skills related to traditional craftsmanship.
In 2011, Poland acceded to the 2003 UNESCO Convention, which protects such heritage, among other means, by creating the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Thanks to this, we can preserve what matters to us and share it with others.
Gdańsk already has one entry on the list – carillon music.
St Dominic's Fair as intangible cultural heritage?
This question has accompanied the residents of Gdańsk, craftspeople, exhibitors and everyone for whom St Dominic's Fair is more than just a trade event for many months. The initiative to enter the Fair on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage has a grassroots character – it grows from the voices of the bearers who co-create the Fair and have nurtured its tradition for generations.
Who are the bearers?
Bearers are the people and communities who actively sustain, practise and pass on a given tradition. In the case of St Dominic's Fair, these include craftspeople, exhibitors, artists and other participants who have co-created the Fair for years, ensured its continuity and passed on knowledge and skills to subsequent generations.
What are we doing to protect these traditions?
Archival research, field studies, interviews and surveys are currently being carried out among craftspeople, Gdańsk residents and Fair visitors. We want to learn about different perspectives and answer the question of what St Dominic's Fair means today and what significance it holds for the local community.
Join the public consultations – your voice matters!
If you feel that this tradition is close to your heart, if you are a craftsperson continuing a family trade, a resident of Gdańsk, or someone who has visited the Fair for years – your voice matters. It is personal stories, experiences and memories that create living heritage.
We invite you to take part in the public consultations, during which you will be able to share your opinion, story and view on the traditions of St Dominic's Fair.
When: 20 March 2026, at 17:30
Where: Gdańsk Museum, Town Hall Chamber ul. Długa 46/47
Purpose of the consultations:
- presenting the assumptions behind the entry on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage
- gathering the opinions of bearers
- identifying the values and threats associated with the Fair's tradition
- co-creating a protection plan
- choosing the name of the entry
- choosing an authorised representative of the bearers
Share your story and help create the Fair's heritage!
If you have an interesting story, photographs or keepsakes related to St Dominic's Fair and would like to share them, or would like to learn more about the entry initiative, please get in touch: dziedzictwo@jarmarkswdominika.pl