Jan Pietrzak (pronounced ; born 26 April 1937) is a Polish
satirist
This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires.
Under Contemporary, 1930-196 ...
, singer-songwriter, stage and film actor, and columnist for ''
Tygodnik Solidarność'' (Solidarity Weekly).
Career
Pietrzak co-founded in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
, with
Jonasz Kofta
Jonasz Kofta, real name: Janusz Kofta (born 28 November 1942 in Mizocz, Volhynia, today Ukraine; died 19 April 1988 in Warsaw) was a Polish songwriter and a poet.
The Kofta family came to Warsaw after the Second World War and later lived in Wr ...
, the student
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...
club ''Hybrydy'', which operated in 1962–67.
In 1967 Pietrzak founded ''
Pod Egidą'' ("Under the Aegis"), a subversive Warsaw literary cabaret. Pietrzak was one of the more popular voices of anticommunism in the
People's Republic of Poland
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...
.
Pietrzak attained country-wide and international recognition during the
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti ...
years especially with his
protest song
A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre.
Among social mov ...
, ''"
Żeby Polska była Polską
"Żeby Polska była Polską" (''Let Poland be Poland'', or – less commonly, ''For Poland to be Poland'') is one of the best-known Polish protest songs written in 1976 by the Polish singer-songwriter Jan Pietrzak, with music by Włodzimierz Korcz ...
"'' ("So that Poland Could be Poland"—abroad, often called "Let Poland Be Poland") with music by
Włodzimierz Korcz. The song became the widely-accepted informal anthem of Poland's
Solidarity period.
Awards
In 1979, the authorities of the PRL - Polish People's Republic awarded Pietrzak with the Golden Cross of Merit.
On 3 May 2009 Pietrzak was decorated by the
President of Poland
The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Pola ...
with the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievemen ...
.
See also
*
List of Poles
Notes
External links
''"Prawda w żartach zawarta"'' ("The Truth as Humor").Interview with Jan Pietrzak by Patrycja Gruszyńska-Ruman. PDF direct download. ''Bulletin of the
Institute of National Remembrance
The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation ( pl, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej – Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state resea ...
'', no. 7 (90), July 2008; ISSN 1641-9561. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
1937 births
Living people
Candidates in the 1995 Polish presidential election
Polish cabaret performers
Polish satirists
Polish male writers
Polish singer-songwriters
Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Recipients of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis
20th-century Polish male singers
Recipient of the Meritorious Activist of Culture badge
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