Jan Pietrzak (pronounced ; born 26 April 1937) is a Polish satirist, singer-songwriter, stage and film actor, and columnist for ''

Tygodnik Solidarność ''Tygodnik Solidarność'' (, "Solidarity Weekly") is the main organ of the Independent Self-Governed Trade Union "Solidarity." As an anti-Communist union paper, it is also a Polish right-wing weekly magazine. Started and published by the Solidari ...

'' (Solidarity Weekly).

Career

Pietrzak was in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, with

Jonasz Kofta Jonasz Kofta, real name: Janusz Kofta (28 November 1942 – 19 April 1988) was a Polish songwriter and a poet who was born in Mizocz, Volhynia and died in Warsaw. The Kofta family came to Warsaw after the Second World War and later lived in W ...

, when he co-founded the student

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

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 Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...

in the

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

. Pietrzak attained country-wide and international recognition during the

Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

years especially with his

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and 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. ...

, ''"

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 Włodzimierz Korcz (born 13 November 1943 in Łódź) is a Polish composer, pianist, music producer and author of many popular songs. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Łódź and debuted in 1965. In 1968–1970 Korcz worked as music edit ...

. The song became the widely-accepted informal anthem of Poland's Solidarity period. In February 2024 he was called to The Prosecutor Office in Warsaw in connection with his jokes concerning the compulsory distribution and settlement of the illegal immigrants in Poland. – See the picture at the bottom.

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 ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...

with the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

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 (, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state research institute in charge of education and archives which also includes two public prosecutio ...

'', no. 7 (90), July 2008; ISSN 1641-9561. Retrieved 14 June 2012. 1937 births Living people Candidates in the 1995 Polish presidential election Polish cabaret performers Polish satirists Polish male writers Polish male singer-songwriters 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 Recipients of the Meritorious Activist of Culture badge Polish male comedians Polish political music artists {{Poland-bio-stub

Career

Awards

See also

Notes

External links