As part of the STN:ORT Festival 2026, Teatr Chochół gave the premiere of "Ahasverus: The Wanderer from Steinort" on Sunday 26 July 2026 at 21:00. The production takes the form of a walk through the gardens of Sztynort Palace and carries the audience into 17th-century Europe. Admission was free. We describe it here because it is the most interesting thing to have happened at this palace in years – and because the festival will return.
Who Ahasverus von Lehndorff was
The production is based on a script by Robert Wasilewski, drawing on the documented record of the decade-long grand tour of 17th-century Europe made by Ahasverus von Lehndorff, the future heir to Steinort. The story opens with the Tatar raid on Steinort in 1656 and the capture of the palace residents into slavery, then follows him through the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and Malta. It is a tale of adventure – naval battles against the Ottomans, an ascent of a smoking Vesuvius – and also of youthful fascinations, such as an encounter with Queen Christina of Sweden, an independent woman absorbed by learning and the arts.
The form: a walk through the palace gardens
This is not a show watched from a chair. The audience walks with the actors through the existing landscape at the edges of the palace, with successive scenes played out at different points in the park. The music is performed live on traditional early instruments and with human voices, by Jacek Hałas, who also appears in the cast. Przemysław Wasilkowski directs; the set is by Bartosz Myślak. The production brings together an international ensemble assembled specifically to preserve linguistic authenticity in the scenes from each stage of the journey – Polish, French, Italian and Catalan are all heard on stage.
Why Sztynort in particular
This production could only have been made here. Sztynort Palace belonged to the Lehndorff family for over seven hundred years, and Ahasverus is one of its more colourful members. The palace is still under restoration and its interiors are closed to visitors, so events like STN:ORT are among the few chances to see the grounds as something other than a view from beyond the fence. Co-organisers are the Gesellschaft Lehndorff e.V. association and Memuak, the Multimedia Centre for the Environment and Sailing. The project was funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage through the Culture Promotion Fund and by the Warmian-Masurian regional government.
What else is happening in Sztynort this summer
Sztynort has an unusually full programme this season for a place its size. Two days after Ahasverus, on 28 July at 17:00, Nowy Sztynort hosts the family show Greek Myths in the Land of the Great Lakes. Through the summer there are also concerts in the palace setting. Sztynort is 8 km from Poza Zgiełkiem – twelve minutes by car or twenty-five by bicycle along the shore road, which is a pleasure in itself before an evening performance. We have gathered the August calendar in August 2026 in Masuria.
A tip
The performance is a walk around the palace, so factor that into your plans – the organisers ask anyone needing help with moving between locations to let them know in advance. If STN:ORT returns next season, follow the foundation's page – it is one of the few chances to see the palace grounds after dark.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Janericloebe / domena publiczna
