Still from the film "Johannes Quistorp" Stettin Poland 2023. image: Zuzanna Gonera. imagofeminae XXXIX 2024

A reportage with the women of the film "Johannes Quistorp"

Reportage: by Zuzanna Gonera, Olga Dąbkiewicz, Dorota Pundyk

editor: Alicja Wawryniuk press: Paiman Davarifard

THE BACKGROUND STORY OF THE FILM "JOHANNES QUISTORP"

By Zuzanna Gonera & Dorota Pundyk (Poland)

It all started with the desire to organize the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Johannes Quistorp. We already knew each other from the work carried out by Denkmal Pomorze in 2020 at the cemetery at Betania Hospital, when the tombstone of Wilhelmina Quistorp was found on the first day - it was a very touching moment for everyone gathered. Anyone interested could participate in these works. Thanks to research carried out using GPR, it was also possible to determine the exact location of the burial places (crypts) of Johannes and Martin Quistorp.  We decided to devote the next months to organizing various events in urban space. On the 150th anniversary of the opening of Westend (July 2021), the Facebook page "Johannes Quistorp" was launched. The authors of the website are Dorota Pundyk and Sabina Wacławczyk.

In November 2021, Denkmal Pomorze organized Johannes' 199th birthday - it was a city walk led by Polina Wierzchowiec around the former Neu-Westend and Westend district. The finale of the walk took place in the cemetery, which was still a thicket of bushes at that time. The number of people who came exceeded everyone's expectations, so we knew we had to keep going.

On May 9, 2022, an outdoor exhibition prepared by Sabina Wacławczyk and Dorota Pundyk was opened at Plac Orła Biały, organized as part of the annual city project "2Q22 - the year of commemorating Johannes Quistorp". 14 boards with information about the Quistorp family were presented. The exhibition was a success, thanks to it many Szczecin residents learned about their contribution to the development of the city.Encouraged by the success of this event, we went to the Pomeranian Library to ask about the possibility of organizing a larger exhibition. Director Bąbolewski expressed his willingness to join this initiative. We started collecting materials, postcards, books, documents, assembling costumes and preparing boards with information.At the end of the summer, design work began on the construction of a lapidary in the place of the forgotten cemetery, and later work on the implementation of this task. The goal was to place the found stelae in their proper places, reconstruction of the graves of Johannes and Martin and development of the area, including the reconstruction of the wooden bench visible in old photographs. Already earlier, on April 26, 2022, this place was named Square by the decision of the Szczecin City Council. The Quistorp family.   The next event was the concert "Port farewell to summer with Johannes Quistorp, the creator of green Szczecin", which took place on September 23 at the Summer Theater, former Quistorp Park, now Kasprowicz Park. During the concert, viewers could see videos presenting the history of this great philanthropist. The role of Johannes was played by Arkadiusz Buszko, an actor from Szczecin.  Of course, it is impossible to list all the Quistorp events that have taken place in recent years, because this would require writing an extensive book. However, the biggest ones echoed throughout the city.

Meanwhile, the birthday anniversary was approaching, work at the cemetery was continuing, and the display cabinets were filling up with exhibits and boards with information. On November 7, 2022, the exhibition opening took place, which attracted crowds of city residents. The exhibition "Szczecin Quistorpów, life in the 19th century" was supposed to last until November 28, but it was extremely popular and was extended until January 5, 2023. The exhibition was created by members of the following groups: Denkmal Pomorze, the historical and exploration association "Archegryf", the portal "Szczecin Znany i Historiciczny", "Historical Niemierzyn/Nemitz Arkońskie", the project "2Q22 - the year of commemoration of Johannes Quistorp", "Quistorp Tower - from the monument to ruin." The display boards were prepared by Anna Koc in cooperation with members of the above-mentioned entities. The original 19th-century costumes presented at the exhibition come from the collection of Zuzanna Gonera.

An important part of the birth anniversary celebrations were the celebrations on November 13, 2022 at the now renovated Quistorp cemetery, attended by Johannes Quistorp's great-great-granddaughter, Nicola Stegmann, and her husband, Martin Büchele. The celebrations were also attended by priest Sławomir Sikora, pastor Kai Becker and the deaconess's sister Irma, who currently lives in the Betania center in Ducherow and remembers the deaconesses from Szczecin.The activities of the so-called "Quistorpowcy" were appreciated by readers and journalists of Gazeta Wyborcza, the group was nominated for the "Szczupaki 2022" award. 10 entities are nominated each year for the Szczupak award, i.e. the person or institution that has made the most contribution to Szczecin.  Helena Kwiatkowska, a journalist and film director from Szczecin, also came to the opening and talked to Dorota Pundyk about cooperation on the planned film. We started writing the script, collecting names of people who could appear in the film, collecting archives and looking for a cooperation partner on the German side. Contact was made with Bethany in Ducherow and Pastor Kai Becker expressed his willingness to cooperate in the field of the film.  An application was submitted to the Pomerania Euroregion asking for help in financing the film. Finally, after receiving positive feedback from the Euroregion, its production began. The photos were taken in the State Archives in Szczecin, in the Pomeranian Library, in Kasprowicz Park, in Greifswald, Wolgast, Ducherow, Lubin, in Villa Lentz, in Pogodno, and in the church of St. Trinity in Szczecin and at the Betania cemetery. The fictional scenes included some of the costumes, original antiques from the Quistorpa times, which had previously been presented in showcases during the exhibition in the Pomeranian Library. The remaining costumes were the property of the film's two costume consultants,Zuzanna Gonera and Olga Dąbkiewicz, the Castle Opera and the Metrum Association.

The role of Johannes Quistorp was played by the actor from Szczecin, Konrad Pawicki, and the role of Minna was played by Iga Jackowiak. The film featured experts on the subject:

-  Dorota Pundyk, co-author of the Facebook page "Johannes Quistorp",

-  Dr. Paweł Gut, head of the department of records and processing of archival resources of the State Archives in Szczecin,

-  Julianna Rogowska, regionalist and author of articles,

-  Maria Łopuch, art historian,

-  Michał Dębowski, city conservator of monuments,

-  Sławomir Sikora, priest of the Evangelical-Augsburg parish in the church of St. Trinity in Szczecin,

-  Kai Becker, pastor and manager of Evangelisches Diakoniewerk Bethanien Ducherow,

-  Sylwia Wesołowska, head of the Regional Department at the Pomeranian Library,

- Damian Kolassa, author of the book "Quistorpa Tower - from monument to ruin",

-  Wiktor Możdżer, president of the Denkmal Pomorze association.

Filming ended on November 2, 2023. The editing and sound of the film began, for which Bartosz Jurgiewicz was responsible. He was also the cinematographer of the film.

The film premiered on the wSzczecinie.pl website on December 30, 2023, and has received several dozen thousand views. The official premiere in the urban space took place at the INKU Incubator of Creative Sectors on January 31, 2024. The premiere was honored by the presence of Eva Quistorp, great-granddaughter of Wilhelm Quistorp. Then there were further shows, combined with discussions at the Przełomy Dialogue Center, the Pomeranian Library and the Delta Club. The first German premiere took place in Betania, Ducherow, on April 19, 2024. All shows were extremely popular. The participants also eagerly listened to the discussions and took an active part in them, asking many questions.

The film was also broadcast on television, it was shown by the local TVP Szczecin station on April 21, 2024. It was a huge success of the production. In May this year, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Johannes' death, many events took place, including a concert, a lecture, a walk and cleaning works at the Quistorpa Tower, aimed at finding elements of the tower. We appreciate the work of the Quistorp family not only for Szczecin, but also for the entire Mecklenburg region and Berlin, which is why we believe they deserve to be commemorated in the city.

image: Eva Quistorp (together with Petra Kelly, Roland Vogt and Joseph Beuys Eva Quistorp is a co-founder  of the Greens political Party in Germany & a previous EU parlamentarian, leader of the Womens Peace and Environment  Movement in Germany in 80s and 90s and also the owner of the  Federal Cross of Merit for her “intensive personal commitment to women’s rights, non-violence, peace and international understanding). "Johannes Quistorp" is a Grand Uncle of Eva Quirtorp. She was invited to the screening of the documantary film "Johannes Quistorp" in Stettin Poland in 2024. Foto on April 13, 2024 in Berlin by Paiman Davarifard Copyright imagofeminae XXXIX spring 2024.