In 2025, the Kashubian Institute in Gdańsk, in cooperation with the Pomeranian Chamber of Crafts for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and the Museum of Gdańsk, with the support of the Gdańsk International Fair, initiated actions aimed at inscribing artisanal traditions and cultural practices associated with the St. Dominic's Fair National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
On 20 March 2026 at 17:30 at the Gdańsk Museum, at 46/47 Długa Street in the Town Hall Rotunda public consultations were held, during which one could share their opinion, story, and perspective on the traditions of St. Dominic's Fair.
niematerialne dziedzictwo kulturowe to wszystko, co do tej pory nie zostało jeszcze zbadane. passed 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; traditional craftsmanship skills.
W 2011 roku Polska przystąpiła do The 2003 UNESCO Convention, which protects such heritage, including through the creation Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This allows us to preserve what is important to us and share it with others.
In Gdańsk, we already have one entry on the list – carillon music.
This question has been on the minds of Gdańsk residents, artisans, exhibitors, and everyone for whom the St. Dominic's Fair is more than just a commercial event, for many months. The initiative to include the Fair on National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage has character bottom-up – stems from the voices of the depositaries who co-create the Fair and have been nurturing its tradition for generations.
Custodians those are the people and environments that actively maintain, practise and pass on the given tradition. For the St. Dominic's Fair, these include craftspeople, exhibitors, artists, and other participants who have been co-creating the Fair for years, ensuring its continuity and passing on knowledge and skills to future generations.
Archival queries are currently being conducted, Field research, conversations and surveys among artisans, residents of Gdańsk and visitors to the Fair. We want to gain different perspectives and answer the question of what St. Dominic's Fair is today and what significance it has for the local community.
If you have an interesting story, photographs or mementos related to the St. Dominic's Fair and would like to share them, or if you wish to learn more about the inscription initiative, we encourage you to get in touch: dziedzictwo@jarmarkswdominika.pl
