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- Amon Göth was born on 11 December 1908 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He died on 13 September 1946 in Kraków, Poland.
- Stanislaw Lem was a visionary Polish author known for Solaris (1972).
He was born on September 12, 1921, in Lwów, Poland. His father, Samuel Lem, was a wealthy laryngologist who served in the Austrian army. His mother, Sabina Woller, was a homemaker. Although he was born into a Polish-Jewish family, Lem was raised a Catholic and later became an atheist. He graduated from the Lwów Gymnazium in 1939, then studied medicine at the Lvov Medical Institute in 1940-1941. During WWII, he survived the Nazi occupation of Lwów and worked as a mechanic and welder for a German firm until 1944.
After World War II Lem escaped from the Soviet occupation of Germany and moved to Krakow, Poland, as a repatriate. There he completed his medical studies at Jagellonian University, without taking the doctor's degree. He worked at the Konserwatorium Naukoznawcze as a research assistant for psychologist Dr. Choynowski. From 1946-1949 Lem was involved in medical research in psychology, which became a turning point in his life. He started writing poetry and science fiction in 1946, but his first serious novel, "Hospital of the Transfiguration", was suppressed by the Polish government for eight years. It was released only in 1956, when freedom of speech was earned after the "Polish October" popular uprising.
Lem quit medicine in 1949, because he did not want to be drafted into the army. He married a doctor instead of being one. In 1949 he became a professional writer and continued creating his increasingly unusual novels: "The Investigation", "Eden", "Return from the Stars". The 1960s and 1970s were the most productive for Lem. At that time he wrote 'Solaris', 'The Invincible', 'The Cyberiad', 'His Master's Voice', 'The Star Diaries', 'The Futurological Congress', and 'Tales of Pirx the Pilot'. His gift of a visionary materialized in 'Summa Technologiae' (Sum of Technologies, 1964), which tackled problems of virtual reality. Lem showed his talent for premonition in "Katar" (1975), which predicted international terrorism, and in "Observations on the Spot"' (1982), which showed absurdity of a conflict between two civilizations.
His novel 'Solaris' was adapted into eponymous films twice. First came the Russian-made film adaptation by director Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972, starring Donatas Banionis and Natalya Bondarchuk. Lem spent six months working with Tarkovsky in Moscow, but their collaboration ended in a bitter conflict over the changes and additions to the original story. After seeing edited parts of the 1972 film, Lem said of Tarkovsky: "Instead of focusing on deeper moral questions related to frontiers of human knowledge, he made a drama-type 'Crime and Punishment' in space, by making up unnecessary characters of parents and relatives, then adding a hut on an island." "Tarkovsky was a genius, but he was moving in the opposite direction from my book", also said Lem. Upon his doctor's advice Lem did not want to see the 2002 remake by director Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone.
"Solaris" (1961) is arguably the best known work of Lem's works. It deals with the problem of human existence in the world of the unknown. It also shows the inevitability of misunderstandings in human contacts with other worlds. Planet Solaris is inhabited by a single Plasma Ocean organism with the eerie ability to materialize human thoughts. When astronauts become more aggressive in forcing contact with Solaris, it confronts them with pushing the buttons of their most painful thoughts by recreating their dead wives and relatives, and virtually bringing the dead back to life in front of their eyes. Obsolete biological human impulses are shown in stark contrast with the magnitude of the ocean-size organism. At some point humans become an irrational liability to their machine partner, the spaceship. Lem's imagination and talent for creation of alternative reality challenges the limits of human knowledge.
"Past is more perfect than future, which makes me sad," said Lem. Although some of his predictions came true, he expressed his disappointment about the failure of many positive prognosis that were made during the 1960s and 1970s. He died on March 27, 2006, in Kraków, and was laid to rest in the Salwatorski cemetery in Kraków, Poland. His books sold over 27 million copies in 41 languages. - Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Krzysztof Penderecki was a Polish composer and conductor, whose music was often used in film. He seldom composed original film scores. Among the most notable films to use Penderecki's music are "The Exorcist" (1973), "The Shining" (1980), "Wild at Heart" (1990), "Fearless" (1993), "Inland Empire" (2006), "Children of Men" (2006), and "Shutter Island" (2010),
Penderecki was born in the town of Debica, in the historic province of Lesser Poland. His parents were the lawyer Tadeusz Penderecki and his wife Zofia. Tadeusz was an amateur violinist and pianist. Penderecki was a grandson of bank director Robert Berger, who had a side-career as a painter. Robert's father was Johann Berger, a German Protestant from Breslau (modern Wroclaw), who converted to Catholicism in order to marry a Catholic girl. Penderecki's grandmother Stefania was an Armenian from the town of Stanislau in Austria-Hungary (modern Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine).
Penderecki was 6-years-old when World War II begun. The Penderecki family had to move out of their apartment, as it was confiscated for use by the Ministry of Food. Penderecki's education was disrupted by the War. He started attending grammar school in 1946, at the age of 13. He graduated in 1951.
Penderecki started studying violin during his school years. His first teacher was military bandmaster Stanislaw Darlak, who also led a local orchestra in Debica. In 1951, Penderecki enrolled at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, where he continued his music studies. Stanislaw Tawroszewicz trained him as a violinist, while Franciszek Skolyszewski taught him music theory.
In 1954, Penderecki enrolled at the Academy of Music in Kraków. Having mostly completed his violin lessons, his education was focused entirely on the composition of new music. His original mentor was composer Artur Malawski, who was primarily known for choral and orchestral works. Malawski died in 1957, before Penderecki completed his lessons. His new mentor was composer Stanislaw Wiechowicz (1893-1963), who often drew inspiration from Polish folk music.
Penderecki graduated from the Academy of Music in 1958, and was immediately offered a teaching position there. He took the offer. He started publishing his original compositions, which were mostly influenced by the works of Pierre Boulez, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern. His works "Strophen", "Psalms of David", and "Emanations" premiered in 1959, and were critically well-received.
His first work to actually receive international recognition was "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" (1960), written for 52 string instruments. His next notable work was the controversial "Fluorescences" (1962) written for the Donaueschingen Festival in Germany. He experimented with using percussion instruments which were unusual for classical music, such as "a Mexican güiro", typewriters, and gongs.
His experimental phase lasted through the 1960s, and he was seen as part of the avant-garde scene. By the early 1970s, Penderecki started incorporating more influences from the music of post-Romanticism, and his works were seen as more traditional. Meanwhile he had become one of Poland's most notable composers, He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1964, and the Commander's Cross of the Order in 1974.
In the mid-1970s Penderecki became a professor at the Yale School of Music. His music became more melodic. His "Symphony No. 2, Christmas" (1980) was "harmonically and melodically quite straightforward", and made frequent uses of the tune used in an older Christmas carol, "Silent Night" (1818) by Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863). He explained his renunciation of the avant-garde, as he viewed the novelty of the music as "more destructive than constructive".
In 1980, the Polish trade union "Solidarity" commissioned to compose music commemorating those killed in anti-government riots at the Gdansk shipyards. Penderecki initially composed "Lacrimosa" for the occasion. He was inspired enough to expand the work to one of his most famous compositions, "Polish Requiem". He revised it several times between 1980 and 2005.
By the 2000s, Penderecki won many international awards and his fame was well-established. He started working on a number of compositions which were never finished, in part due to poor health. His plans included an opera version of the French tragedy play "Phèdre" (1677) by Jean Racine (1639-1699), and a composition commemorating the Armenian Genocide's centennial.
In March 2020, Penderecki died in his home in Kraków, Poland, following a long illness. He was 86-years-old, and several of his compositions were regarded among the famous film music of the 20th century.- Jerzy Trela was born on 14 March 1942 in Lencze, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Quo vadis (2001), Three Colors: White (1994) and Self-Portrait with a Lover (1996). He died on 15 May 2022 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Binczycki was born on 6 September 1937 in Witkowice, Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Nights and Days (1975), Pan Tadeusz (1999) and Na odsiecz Wiedniowi (1983). He died on 2 October 1998 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Eva Mozes Kor was born on 30 January 1934 in Portz, Romania. She was a producer, known for C.A.N.D.L.E.S.: The Story of the Mengele Twins (1990), Forgiving Dr. Mengele (2006) and Eva: A-7063 (2018). She was married to Michael Kor. She died on 4 June 2019 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Leopold Kozlowski was born on 26 November 1918 in Przemyslany, Tarnopolskie, Poland [now Peremyshliany, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine]. He was a composer and actor, known for Schindler's List (1993), Torrents of Spring (1989) and Skrzypce Rotszylda (1988). He died on 12 March 2019 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Grzegorz Borek was born on 20 July 1971 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Poniedzialek (1998), Sezon na leszcza (2001) and The Circus Connection (1995). He died on 27 February 2009 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Aleksander Braszka was born on 6 October 1932 in Rypin, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Katastrofa w Gibraltarze (1984), Krótkie zycie (1976) and Orzel i reszka (1975). He died on 6 May 2000 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Maria Malicka was born on 9 May 1900 in Krakau, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Niebezpieczny raj (1931), Szlakiem hanby (1929) and Wiatr od morza (1930). She was married to Zbigniew Sawan. She died on 30 September 1992 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Dariusz Gnatowski was born on 24 May 1961 in Ruda Slaska, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Demons of War (1998), Sara (1997) and Miasto prywatne (1994). He was married to Anna Gnatowska. He died on 20 October 2020 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Bronislaw Cieslak was born on 8 October 1943 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Zamknac za soba drzwi (1988), 07 zglos sie (1976) and Latajace machiny kontra pan Samochodzik (1991). He was married to Anna and Jasna Krystyna Chrzanowska-Cieslak. He died on 2 May 2021 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Krzysztof Kozlowski was born on 18 August 1931 in Przybyslawice, Malopolskie, Poland. He died on 26 March 2013 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Gniewkowski was born on 6 May 1938 in Grodno, Bialostockie, Poland [now Hrodna, Belarus]. He was an actor, known for The Beads of One Rosary (1980), Blisko, coraz blizej (1983) and Podróz Luizy (1981). He died on 20 February 2012 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- One of the most promising actresses of her generation. She studied acting in Kraków and Warsaw. The turning point of her career was the remarkable performance in "Nikt nie wola" (1960). This role, as well as other film and theatre roles that followed, made her a star in Poland. Unfortunately, in 1963, after an argument with her boyfriend, actor Zbigniew Wójcik, she committed suicide by turning the gas on. They were found dead together. Marcinkowska was only 23 years old.
- Tadeusz Jurasz was born on 9 September 1930 in Ciecina, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Cien (1956), Goraca linia (1965) and Koniec naszego swiata (1964). He died on 22 December 2019 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Kazimierz Witkiewicz was born on 12 November 1924 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for I Hate Mondays (1971), Zagubione uczucia (1957) and Dulscy (1976). He died on 13 July 2018 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Actor
- Writer
Antoni Fertner was born on 23 May 1874 in Czestochowa, Poland, Russian Empire [now Czestochowa, Slaskie, Poland]. He was an actor and writer, known for Ada, Don't Do That! (1936), Zapomniana melodia (1938) and Bedzie lepiej (1936). He died on 16 April 1959 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Barbara Sobotta was born on 4 December 1936 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Dziura w ziemi (1970). She was married to Zbigniew Janiszewski and Piotr Sobotta. She died on 21 November 2000 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Anna Szalapak was born in 1952 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Zwyczajna dobroc (1998). She died on 14 October 2017 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Leszek Dlugosz was born on 18 June 1941 in Zaklików, Podkarpackie, Poland. He was an actor, known for On the Silver Globe (1988), Heart Parade (2022) and Smolensk (2016). He died on 23 March 2024 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Stanislaw Koczanowicz was born on 5 May 1921 in Tarnów, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Schindler's List (1993), Rodzina Polanieckich (1978) and Television Theater (1953). He died on 5 May 1993 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Kornel Filipowicz was born on 27 October 1913 in Tarnopol, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Ternopil, Ukraine]. He was a writer, known for Szklana kula (1972), Pieklo i niebo (1966) and Glos z tamtego swiata (1962). He was married to Maria Próchnicka and Maria Jarema. He died on 28 February 1990 in Kraków, Krakowskie [now in Malopolskie], Poland.
- Julian Kawalec was born on 11 October 1916 in Wrzawy, Podkarpackie, Poland. He was a writer, known for Pietno (1985), Television Theater (1953) and The Dancing Hawk (1977). He died on 30 September 2014 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Jogalla was born on 2 April 1940 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Skradziona kolekcja (1979), The Song of Triumphant Love (1969) and Milczace slady (1961). He died on 7 May 2018 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Marek Grechuta was born on 10 December 1945 in Zamosc, Lubelskie, Poland. He was a composer and actor, known for Planet Single (2016), Zakret (1977) and #WszystkoGra (2016). He was married to Danuta. He died on 9 October 2006 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Maciej Szumowski was born on 18 April 1939 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was a writer, known for Arena (1968). He was married to Dorota Terakowska. He died on 1 February 2004 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Faustyna Kowalska was born on 25 August 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland, Russian Empire [now Glogowiec, Lódzkie, Poland]. Faustyna was a writer, known for Divine Mercy sa buhay ni Sister Faustina (1993) and Faustina: The Apostle of Divine Mercy (1994). Faustyna died on 5 October 1938 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Sagan was born on 13 September 1928 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Schindler's List (1993), Death of a President (1977) and Zamach stanu (1980). He died on 14 April 1998 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Jerzy Broszkiewicz was born on 6 June 1922 in Lwów, Lwowskie, Poland [now Lviv, Ukraine]. He was a writer, known for Bialy niedzwiedz (1959), Wilczy bilet (1964) and Young Chopin (1952). He died on 5 October 1993 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Tadeusz Szaniecki was born on 15 April 1919 in Maków Podhalanski, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Sekret Enigmy (1979), Blisko, coraz blizej (1983) and The Beads of One Rosary (1980). He died on 8 April 2005 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Wislawa Szymborska was born on 2 July 1923 in Prowent, Poznanskie [now part of Kórnik, Wielkopolskie], Poland. She was a writer, known for Teatr Polskiego Radia (2004), Tortures (2017) and Vietnam (2021). She was married to Adam Wlodek. She died on 1 February 2012 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Krzysztof Litwin was born on 19 June 1935 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Lalka (1968), Lalka (1978) and Niewiarygodne przygody Marka Piegusa (1966). He died on 8 November 2000 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Writer
- Director
- Art Director
Ryszard Czekala was born on 5 March 1941 in Bydgoszcz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland. He was a writer and director, known for Zofia (1976), Syn (1970) and The Roll-Call (1971). He died on 30 October 2010 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Actor
- Writer
- Art Department
Wieslaw Dymny was born on 25 February 1936 in Poloneczka, Nowogródzkie, Poland [now Palanechka, Belarus]. He was an actor and writer, known for 5 i 1/2 Bladego Józka (1970), Slonce wschodzi raz na dzien (1972) and Chudy i inni (1967). He was married to Anna Dymna. He died on 12 February 1978 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Halina Wyrodek was born on 4 April 1946 in Olkusz, Malopolskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Opowiesc Harleya (1988), Na strazy swej stac bede (1984) and Grzeszny zywot Franciszka Buly (1980). She was married to Marian Dziedziel. She died on 12 August 2008 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Czeslaw Milosz was born on 30 June 1911 in Szetejnie, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Seteniai, Lithuania]. He was a writer, known for Robinson warszawski (1950), Teatr Polskiego Radia (2004) and Dolina Issy (1982). He was married to Carol Marie Thigpen and Janina Dluska. He died on 14 August 2004 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Aleksander Fabisiak was born on 8 September 1945 in Katowice, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Television Theater (1953), Dagny (1977) and Psy (1992). He died on 9 February 2024 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Andrzej Girtler was born on 16 April 1904 in Boryslaw, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Boryslav, Ukraine]. He was an actor, known for Pharaoh (1966) and Chudy i inni (1967). He died on 27 July 1968 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Edward Raczkowski was born on 11 February 1911 in Lemberg, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Lviv, Ukraine]. He was an actor, known for Ojciec królowej (1980), Pharaoh (1966) and Granica (1978). He died on 26 October 1990 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Wanda Póltawska was born on 2 November 1921 in Lublin, Lubelskie, Poland. She was a writer, known for The Island W, Television Theater (1953) and Macht der Wunder - Die Geheimnisse des Vatikans (2010). She was married to Andrzej Poltawska. She died on 24 October 2023 in Krakow, Poland.
- Zofia Niwinska was born on 15 May 1909 in Minsk Mazowiecki, Poland, Russian Empire [now Minsk Mazowiecki, Mazowieckie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Ulan ksiecia Józefa (1937), Klamstwo Krystyny (1939) and The Last Stage (1948). She died on 15 January 1994 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Halina Gryglaszewska was born on 13 June 1917 in Kharkov, Kharkov Governorate, Russia [now Kharkiv, Ukraine]. She was an actress, known for The Double Life of Véronique (1991), Wsciekly (1980) and Birth Certificate (1961). She died on 18 June 2010 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Additional Crew
Jerzy Vetulani was born on 21 January 1936 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. Jerzy is known for The Illumination (1973). Jerzy died on 6 April 2017 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Actress
- Production Manager
Maria Bujas-Lukaszewska was born on 25 April 1956. She was an actress and production manager, known for Korowód (2007), Jan z drzewa (2008) and Mroczne Zelazo (2017). She died on 22 May 2018 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.- Józef Daniel was born on 31 January 1893 in Rawa Mazowiecka, Poland, Russian Empire [now Rawa Mazowiecka, Lódzkie, Poland]. He was an actor, known for Poscig (1954), Gromada (1952) and Podhale w ogniu (1956). He died on 17 August 1978 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Ewa Lejczak was born on 27 May 1948 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Zawilosci uczuc (1976), Pilot Pirx's Inquest (1979) and The Constant Factor (1980). She died on 12 February 2009 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Janina Ordezanka was born on 9 January 1889 in Szczypiorno, Poland, Russian Empire [now Szczypiorno, Kalisz, Wielkopolskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Adolphe, ou l'âge tendre (1968), The Third Part of the Night (1971) and Provincial Actors (1979). She died on 24 July 1981 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Anna Lutoslawska was born on 16 July 1928 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. She was an actress, known for The Last Stage (1948), Historia wspólczesna (1961) and Zaraza (1972). She died on 19 December 2022 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.
- Andrzej Hudziak was born on 27 February 1955 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for A Few People, a Little Time (2005), Pan Tadeusz (1999) and 33 Scenes from Life (2008). He died on 15 June 2014 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland.