The new look of the Travemünder Woche has been well received by visitors, organisers and showmen. With their fresh image, the symbolic figures Ole and Leevke in their maritime outfits have left a lasting impression, and the festival area with new event areas and the Ferris wheel as a striking eye-catcher of the TW has also caught on. However, the unstable weather with heavy showers on all TW days also left its mark. The target of 500,000 visitors was just missed. Nevertheless, the organisers were satisfied with the 134th edition of the traditional event and want to further refine the concept and expand new programme items.
“The weather situation did not play into our cards at all. It was not the typical TW weather. After the long hot periode, we didn’t get into a consistent high-pressure phase,” reported Frank Schärffe, Managing Director of Travemünder Woche gGmbH. “This means that we did not quite reach our target number of guests, but with a view to the closing fireworks we will have between 450,000 and 500,000 visitors,” added Uwe Bergmann, Managing Director of the marketing agency uba. Since the number of showmen was reduced by about a third to 114 compared to the pre-Corona period, the stand operators were quite satisfied despite the lower crowds on the Strand- and Travepromenade. The increased number of beds in Travemünde also showed that festival attendance is less vulnerable to changing weather. “As soon as the rain stopped, the festival miles were filled faster than before,” says Bergmann.
The new concept of the Travemünder Woche to present itself in a more maritime way has been a complete success, and other new programme items have taken hold: “The Fischerdorf with its herring fry was authentic and very well received. It immediately became a unique selling point of the event. You don’t find anything else like it.” Uwe Bergmann also found the offer in the Tanzpalast at the Fährvorplatz charming: “A great location that will develop from an insider tip to a more frequented event place in the future.” With the Hafenpanorama gallery, there was also a focal point for those interested in art.
The promenade circuit from the Travemünde side to the Priwall could not be realised to the desired extent on all days due to the temporary cancellation of the ferry and low ferry capacities. The inclusion of the Priwall in cooperation with Classical Beat and Beach Bay has nevertheless enriched the Travemünde Week with further event areas. “We are well on the way to implementing the desired promenade circuit in the future with more venues,” said Frank Schärffe.
The stage programme on the Travemünde side offered a central point of contact for the visitors with the König Pilsener stage on the Nordermole. The wine carrée with the adjoining Gipsy Village and the stage there were also well frequented. According to Bergmann, the reintegration of the festival stage in the Brügmanngarten still has to settle down in the coming years. The demand from the visitors is there – as well as for the beach club area. One highlight of the 134th Travemünde Week was the Ferris wheel with its location on the beach. “That went very well. We are working on repeating that,” said Bergmann.
In line with the emergency services, Frank Schärffe was able to report a calm course of the Travemünder Woche: “It was a relaxed atmosphere, no negative incidents were reported to us. Thanks to the efforts of the approximately 400 volunteers at the various TW areas, the sailors felt very comfortable not only at the regattas, but also at the camping areas on shore.” From the police’s point of view, the Travemünder Woche has taken a quiet course. “We are very satisfied with the event so far. It was a calm event with good cooperation between the organisations involved. The number of operations was significantly lower than in the pre-Corona years,” reported police press spokeswoman Claudia Struck.
As expected, the Fridays and Saturdays were the busiest – including a few young people who went over the top with disturbances and quarrels. “But it was all within the bounds of what a large event entails. Only a quarter of the total offences were violent crimes. That’s not much,” says Claudia Struck. The concept of police bicycle patrols on the Priwall was well received in order to have contact persons for the visitors.
There was also great satisfaction among the community of the security boats. “For us, it was a completely normal Travemünde Week,” explained Ulrike Sündermann from Wasserwacht, who took over the operational management together with Sven Slowak from THW. Sündermann praised the good and well-rehearsed cooperation between the Wasserwacht, THW, DLRG and the Seenotretter, which supported with the sea rescue cruiser “Felix Sand” and the sea rescue boats “Erich Koschubs” and “Walter Rose”. At peak times, up to 134 rescue workers on 36 motor lifeboats were on duty every day. Twenty-six patients were treated on water and on shore, she said. “We handed over four of them to the rescue service, including a dislocated shoulder and a laceration to the head.” The sunk Dragon was a novelty. The crew remained injury-free, was rescued by a trainer boat and handed over to a safety boat. In addition, a full 12-foot dinghy had to be pumped out, there was a broken mast on a yacht at the German Offshore Championship, and in the calmer phases the safety boats assisted in towing for the sailors so that everyone on the water and on shore could celebrate a relaxed Travemünde Week.
