Poland
Krystyna Meissner
Krystyna Meissner is a Polish director, theatre manager and festival director. She studied Polish at the University of Warsaw and direction at the State Academy of Theatre in Warsaw. Her debut was in 1961 at Warsaw’s Teatr Ateneum. According to the statement by the Goethe Medal Conferment Commission on her nomination, “Meissner contributed to the strong presence of German theatre in Poland as well as the discovery of Eastern European theatre for western Europe.” By launching and directing the international theatre festivals Kontakt and Dialog-Wrocław, Meissner created a platform for theatre professionals and productions from all over Europe. Dialog-Wrocław is still Poland’s most important theatre festival today. Many German directors and choreographers, including Thomas Ostermeier, Christoph Marthaler, Sasha Waltz, Jossi Wieler, Stefan Pucher and Peter Stein, had their Polish premieres at Meissner’s festivals. The Goethe-Institut began working with Krystyna Meissner during her time as director of the Kontakt festival and continues the alliance in cooperation with Dialog-Wrocław to this day.