Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — Seemannskirche Prerow Concerts

A Church for Seamen — and for Chamber Music

The Seemannskirche Prerow was built around 1726 as a half-timbered church and expanded into a brick church between 1740 and 1830. It is located on the southern edge of the Baltic seaside resort of Prerow, under an old linden tree in the middle of park-like grounds. It bears the name Seemannskirche because of the many votive offerings and models that Prerow's sailors have left in the church over the centuries as thanks for a safe return home – ship models, pictures, small gifts. Today, the church is a vibrant center for community work, cultural tourism, and classical music.

The Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Founded in 1990, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is now the largest classical music festival in Northern Germany. Between June and September, over 180 concerts are held annually at more than 80 venues throughout the state – churches, barns, castles, industrial halls, beaches. The concept: world-class artists in unconventional concert locations, with special attention to the Mecklenburg landscape as a resonant space.

Why Prerow?

For years, the Seemannskirche Prerow has been one of the Festspiele's preferred venues on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. The acoustics of the relatively small church are warm and intimate – ideal for chamber music, less suitable for large orchestral ensembles. Typically, one or two concerts take place in Prerow per season, often featuring younger Festspiele prize winners or as part of the Landpartie (country excursion) program, which combines a carriage ride to the Darßer Ort lighthouse with a concert in the church.

The 2026 Concert

In the 35th anniversary year of the Festspiele MV, a concert will be held in the Seemannskirche on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM, performed by the Krzyżowa-Music Festival. The soloists are Viviane Hagner on violin and Eckart Runge on cello, two internationally established chamber musicians who support young talent within the Krzyżowa Music Festival. The program will be announced via the Festspiele website shortly before the performance.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as a Festival Land

Those who attend the concert in Prerow are not just visiting a church, but are on the Darß – part of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, world-renowned for the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park, the wind-swept beech trees at Darßer Ort, and the endless sandy beaches. An evening concert at the Festspiele in Prerow regularly doubles as a day trip to the sea.