Barbara Krafftowna

Barbara Krafftówna was a Polish film and theater actress, cabaret artist and singer. She was born in Warsaw in 1928 and moved to Gdynia with her mother after the death of her father and the outbreak of World War II. She studied acting at the clandestine Studio Dramatyczne Iwona Galla in Krakow and made her debut in 1946 at the Teatr Wybrzeże. She worked in various theaters in Poland, including Teatr Nowa Warszawa, Teatr Estrada, Teatr Komedia, Teatr Ateneum, Teatr Polski and Teatr Powszechny. She also appeared in more than 40 films and television shows, such as Tonight a City Will Die, How to Be Loved, The Saragossa Manuscript, The Codes, The Promised Land, The Maids of Wilko, The Quack, The Last Ferry, The Spring to Come, The Reverse and The Art of Loving. She was known for her versatile and expressive acting, as well as her distinctive voice and singing talent. She performed many popular songs, such as "Ballada o Zakaczawiu", "Piosenka o okularnikach", "Piosenka jest dobra na wszystko" and "Nie ma jak u mamy". She was awarded many honors and distinctions, such as the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis, the Golden Mask, the Golden Duck, the Golden Lion and the Platinum Lions for lifetime achievement. She was also a social activist and a member of the Solidarity movement. She died in 2022 at the age of 93 from COVID-19 complications.