Jan Pietrzak

Jan Pietrzak (pronounced [ˈjan ˈpʲɛtʃak]; born 26 April 1937 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish satirist, singer-songwriter, stage and film actor, and columnist for Tygodnik Solidarność (Solidarity Weekly).

For the U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant, see Murder of Jan Pawel and Quiana Jenkins Pietrzak.

Jan Pietrzak
Born	(1937-04-26) 26 April 1937 Warsaw, Poland
Occupation	Satirist, singer-songwriter, stage and film actor, and columnist
Years active	1960s-present
Employer	Tygodnik Solidarność

Career

Pietrzak co-founded in Warsaw, with Jonasz Kofta, the student cabaret 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.

Pietrzak attained country-wide and international recognition during the Solidarity years especially with his protest song, "Żeby Polska była Polską" ("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

Jan Pietrzak

On 3 May 2009 Pietrzak was decorated by the President of Poland with the Order of Polonia Restituta.[1]

See also

• List of Poles

Notes

1. "Prezydent wręczył nominacje generalskie i odznaczenia państwowe" (in Polish). prezydent.pl. 3 May 2009. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013.

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, no. 7 (90), July 2008; ISSN 1641-9561. Retrieved June 14, 2012. (in Polish)