Year of People of Cinema: Leonard Pietraszak Takes Centre Stage
Photographs documenting the most important roles of the distinguished actor can now be seen at an exhibition at the District Museum in Bydgoszcz. Leonard Pietraszak was also posthumously awarded the Film Award of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.
“Leonard Pietraszak: Master of Many Stages” is the title of the exhibition that opened on Thursday (18 June) at the District Museum in Bydgoszcz. The exhibition features photographs related to the most significant film, television, and theatre roles of the actor, who passed away in 2023. More than one hundred photographs come from the collections of institutions including the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute, the National Digital Archives, and the Documentary and Feature Film Studios.
Among the highlights are lesser-known photographs from theatrical productions, including Postcards from Europe at Warsaw’s Och-Teatr, where Pietraszak created his final stage role.
“Leonard Pietraszak belonged to that group of actors who could capture the audience’s attention regardless of the size of the role. He did not build his characters through excess. A gesture, a glance, the way he delivered a line – these were enough. We wanted to showcase this extraordinary ability to create characters remembered for years, from Colonel Dowgird to Gustaw Kramer. This exhibition tells the story of an actor whose presence gave scenes a unique quality and often defined their atmosphere,” says Adam Zdunek, the exhibition’s curator.
The exhibition will remain open until 28 February 2027.
The Regional Parliament has designated 2026 as the Year of People of Cinema. In support of this initiative, the Bydgoszcz City Council has also declared 2026 the Year of Leonard Pietraszak, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the actor’s birth. Throughout his life, Pietraszak emphasized his strong connection to his hometown of Bydgoszcz.
A series of events dedicated to recalling the life and achievements of the artist will take place throughout the year in Bydgoszcz, coordinated by the District Museum.
He Wanted to Be a Boxer and a Journalist
Leonard Pietraszak was born on 6 November 1936 in Bydgoszcz. He spent his childhood and youth in the city, living on Gdańska and Grunwaldzka streets. One of the Pietraszak family’s neighbours was the legendary boxing coach Feliks Stamm. Inspired by him and following in the footsteps of his older brother, Leonard began boxing. However, after losing a bout at the Pomorskie Championships, his father forbade him from continuing the sport.
After graduating from secondary school, he aspired to become a journalist. Although he passed the entrance examinations to the University of Warsaw, he narrowly missed admission. He subsequently enrolled in chemistry studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, but soon realised that acting was his true vocation.
Returning to Bydgoszcz, he worked for the state distribution company Ruch as a newspaper subscription instructor while attending amateur theatre classes in the afternoons. His next step was admission to the Acting Department of the National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, from which he graduated in 1960.
From a Candidate for Kloss to Colonel Dowgird
Pietraszak first appeared on stage while still a student in 1959. He subsequently worked in Poznań theatres before moving to Warsaw, where he performed at the Classical Theatre, the Comedy Theatre, and finally the Ateneum Theatre, with which he remained associated for more than three decades until retirement.
His film debut came in 1957 in The Real End of the Great War, directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz. Initially cast in supporting roles, he appeared in the iconic television series More Than Life at Stake. He was even considered for the lead role of Hans Kloss, which ultimately went to Stanisław Mikulski.
His professional breakthrough came in the 1970s. He achieved immense popularity as Colonel Krzysztof Dowgird, the rebellious dragoon officer in the television series Black Clouds (1973), directed by Andrzej Konic. Another major success followed with the role of Dr Karol Stelmach, a friend of engineer Karwowski, in Jerzy Gruza’s hit series The Forty-Year-Old (1974).
He also portrayed Colonel Wacław Wareda in The Career of Nikodem Dyzma (1980), directed by Jan Rybkowski and Marek Nowicki. One of his most celebrated performances was that of the shady banker Gustaw Kramer in Juliusz Machulski’s cult comedies Vabank (1981) and Vabank II, or The Riposte (1984). In the first film, he delivers the phrase “Not a chance,” which became a popular expression in everyday Polish.
In 2018, Leonard Pietraszak was granted honorary citizenship of Bydgoszcz. He was also a passionate collector of paintings by Jan Stanisławski and his students. In 2021, he and his wife Wanda donated the collection to the District Museum in Bydgoszcz. Leonard Pietraszak passed away in 2023 and was laid to rest at the Old Parish Cemetery in Bydgoszcz.
In 2024, he was posthumously awarded the Pola Negri Film Award of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.
Department of Promotion
Dariusz Czołgowski
18 June 2026