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How it all started...The success story of the Linz Pflasterspektakel sounds like a fairy-tale, and starts like this: “Once upon a time, many years ago in the streets of Marrakech…” Cultural manager Siegbert Janko, on holiday in Morocco, found himself caught up in the birthday celebrations for King Hassain. He was fascinated by the incredible exuberance on the Place Djemaa el-Fna, the square for street entertainers in Marrakech. Interpreters of dreams, musicians, conjurors, seers, snake charmers, actors, storytellers, Koran readers, tooth-pullers and dancers congregated on this square every evening to make it one of the most lively and colorful places on Earth. All this activity, coupled with the backdrop of the Place Djemaa el-Fna and the imagination, splendor and the exotic flavor of the whole scene inspired the “crazy” notion to transfer this spectacle from the wonderful world of Africa to the Hauptplatz in Linz – the largest Hallenplatz in Europe. When Siegbert Janko took on his current position in 1985 one of the first things he did was to start planning a gathering of street entertainers. And in 1987, everything was ready... |
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