Barbara Nawratowicz-Stuart (10 November 1932 – 10 May 2024) was a Polish actress and radio journalist. She was one of the first stars of

Piwnica pod Baranami The Piwnica pod Baranami () is a Polish literary cabaret located in Kraków, Poland. For over thirty years, in the People's Republic of Poland, Piwnica pod Baranami served as the most renowned political cabaret in the country, until the end of (an ...

cabaret and a long-time presenter at Polish section of

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

Biography

She studied law at

Maria Curie-Skłodowska Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first wom ...

Jagiellonian The Jagiellonian ( ) or Jagellonian dynasty ( ; ; ), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty (), the House of Jagiellon (), or simply the Jagiellons (; ; ), was the name assumed by a cadet branch of the Lithuanian ducal dynasty of Gediminids upon recep ...

and

Warsaw University The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializat ...

and graduated in 1956. In 1951, during the first year of the college, she was imprisoned by the

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

. She has been kept in a small, dark cell for three months, being multiply interrogated and beaten by the officers. After letting free she has been interrogated several times more. In 1952 or 1953 she met

Piotr Skrzynecki Piotr Cezary Skrzynecki (12 September 1930 in Warsaw – 27 April 1997 in Kraków) was a Polish choreographer, director and cabaret impresario, known for his involvement with the cabaret Piwnica pod Baranami (The Cellar under the Rams), of ...

, a student of art history at the Jagiellonian University. This is how she first made a contact with a group of people who few years later started a cabaret

in the basement of one of town houses at Rynek. Nawratowicz was the star of the cabaret since the very beginning of its existence, she took part in first shows as an actress. Later she became famous for her roles of Cruel Marquise, Intimate Cocotte, Danish Queen and Dutch Stripper. In Piwnica Nawratowicz met

Wiesław Dymny :"Wiesław" is sometimes transliterated as "Wieslaw", in the absence of ''L with stroke.'' Wiesław () is a Polish masculine given name, of Slavonic origin, meaning "great glory" or "all glory". It is the shortened, more common, form of the person ...

, with whom she stayed in a relationship for few years.

Kazimierz Kutz Kazimierz Julian Kutz (16 February 1929 – 18 December 2018) was a Polish film director, author, journalist and politician, one of the representatives of the Polish Film School and a deputy speaker of the Senate of Poland. Biography Kazimie ...

recalled that their love was "full of attachment and jealousy". As an actress she worked at Groteska Theatre in Kraków (1957–1958) and

Stefan Żeromski Theatre Stefan may refer to: * Stefan (given name) * Stefan (surname) * Ștefan, a Romanian given name and a surname * Štefan, a Slavic given name and surname * Stefan (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer * Stefan Heym, pseudonym of German writ ...

in Kielce and Radom (1958–1959). After moving to Warsaw she led an audition titled ''Una'' on Polish Radio Three. In 1963 she starred along with

Andrzej Łapicki Andrzej Łapicki (11 November 1924 – 21 July 2012) was a Polish film actor, theater director and actor. He enjoyed a long career, appearing in 50 films between 1947 and 1999. Łapicki also served a term in the Sejm as a member of KO "Soli ...

in a short film ''Febliki Tatiany'' (''Tatiana's Weaknesses''). For many years her requests for issuing a passport were rejected. When she finally got a document and travelled to Denmark in 1965 she decided to stay abroad.

Jan Nowak-Jeziorański Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (; 2 October 1914 – 20 January 2005) was a Polish journalist, writer, politician, social worker and patriot. He served during the Second World War as one of the most notable resistance fighters of the Home Army. He is b ...

, head of the Polish section of

, came to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

to offer Nawratowicz work in the radio. She agreed and on 16 November 1965 she became a member of the crew. She worked as a director of the production, but was also a presenter. She led daily ''Panorama'', weekly ''Europe for five dollars'' and wrote satirical occasional programs. For some time she was a main presenter of a popular early-morning musical program ''Rendez-vous''. She became a correspondent in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

after moving there in 1987. Barbara Nawratowicz lived in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. She visited Poland once in few years. In 2012 she published a book ''Kabaret "Piwnica pod Baranami”. Fenomen w kulturze PRL'' (''"Piwnica pod Baranami” Cabaret. Phenomenon in the Culture of Polish People's Republic''). She was awarded a Knight's Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...

. She died in Switzerland on 10 May 2024, at the age of 91.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nawratowicz, Barbara 1932 births 2024 deaths Polish stage actresses Polish radio journalists Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty people Knights of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Women radio journalists Actresses from Poznań