Krystyna Feldman, an actress from a Polish-Jewish family, is known in Poland mainly for her role in a popular comedy series. However, few know that during World War II she was a member of the Home Army, the underground Polish Army, and in the 1980s she was persecuted by the communists. She played not only women’s roles.
Krystyna Feldman was born in Lwow on March 1, 1916. Her mother, Katarzyna, performed in the theater and sang in the opera. Her father, Ferdinand, was very famous playing Shakespeare’s roles.
The beginnings of the acting
Little Krystyna early began her path to an acting career; she played her first role when she was five. In 1934, she was admitted to the State Institute of Theater Arts and graduated after three years. Later, she debuted at the Municipal Theater in Lwow (then located in Poland). In 1939, she moved to Luck to develop the local theater there, but World War II soon broke out.
She fought against the Germans and was persecuted by the communists
The outbreak interrupted Feldman’s acting career. She did not remain passive in the face of German bestiality and joined the Polish Home Army, the largest underground military formation in Europe. She acted as a liaison officer.
When the war was coming to an end, Krystyna Feldman turned back to the stage of the theater. She played the male role of Staszek in a play based on “The Wedding” by Stanisław Wyspiański. Her acting career flourished and she played in the best Polish theaters, in television theater and in many film productions.
After World War II, Poland was forcibly subordinated to the communist dictatorship. In the 1980s, the Communists violated the autonomy of the University of Poznań. Feldman defended the university and was repressed by the Communists but they did not break her. The communist dictatorship in Poland collapsed in 1989.
It is never too late
She played her first major role in 2004 at the age of 88 years in the movie “My Nikifor”. Once again, she played a man – Nikifor, a world-renowned painter and primitivist. She gained mass popularity in 1999, for her role of Rozalia in the comedy series “The World According to the Kiepskis”.
She died on January 24, 2007, in Poznań. She was buried in the outfit from her latest play (monodrama) “And That Left of Me. “