The official celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Master Wajda. The Polish Post Office issues a special stamp
The Speakers of the Sejm and Senate, government officials, members of parliament, artists, journalists, and business leaders commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of the renowned film director Andrzej Wajda at the Sejm. Sebastian Mikosz, President of the Polish Post, addressed the press conference. He presented a unique stamp design by Andrzej Pągowski, which will be issued to mark this important anniversary for Polish and world culture.
A conference devoted to the life and work of Andrzej Wajda took place on March 6th in the Column Hall of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. It was moderated by renowned journalist Tomasz Raczek and opened by Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Speaker of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, and renowned actor Daniel Olbrychski.
" It is an honor for us that you are here to celebrate Andrzej Wajda's centenary. I didn't know the Master, but I was raised by the 20th century, and I can't imagine growing up without Wajda's films. He was a man who was able to shape and mold entire generations. There are few such people, and Poland has few authorities... Andrzej Wajda is a great moral authority for our nation, regardless of who votes for whom, and that is why I wanted the Sejm to honor this and pay tribute to this great creator, " said Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty.
" What distinguishes Andrzej Wajda most is that he always tried to tell us about Poland, about Poles, about our virtues and vices, in a way that we could all understand. He was a man of great talent. He spoke boldly. And what he spoke about was understandable in many places, which is why his films achieved such enormous success around the world. There would be no Polish art and culture without Andrzej Wajda. The Senate is proud that he was also a senator of the Republic of Poland, " said Senate Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
During the conference, films featuring statements by Professor Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda and Beata Tyszkiewicz were played, with the director's daughter, Karolina Wajda, in attendance. A panel discussion on the artist's work followed, moderated by Tomasz Raczek and featuring Magdalena Cielecka, Natasza Parzymies, Andrzej Seweryn, Borys Lankosz, and Michał Żebrowski.
A unique stamp will commemorate the great director
At the conference, the President of the Polish Post presented the design of a unique stamp that will be issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Andrzej Wajda's birth. He was accompanied by the project's author, Andrzej Pągowski, and Grzegorz Łoszewski, President of the Polish Filmmakers Association.
"As President of Poczta Polska, I am proud to be able to issue a stamp commemorating one of the greatest creators of Polish culture. It is a wonderful philatelic asset, designed by the renowned artist Andrzej Pągowski. There are many ways to honor and commemorate a great figure – you can erect a monument, but you can also issue it on paper. For us, as Poczta Polska, it is very important that we can honor Mr. Andrzej Wajda on the 100th anniversary of his birth," said President Sebastian Mikosz.
" Many journalists asked me if I loved Andrzej Wajda. Of course I did. How could you not love a man who, during my anniversary celebration in Gdynia, said: 'This poster was worth making a film for.' He said this about the poster for his film 'Man of Iron.' Our friendship couldn't have started any better, " said Andrzej Pągowski, the author of the stamp's design.
The stamp features a graphic image of Andrzej Wajda with a camera, created by Andrzej Pągowski based on a photograph from the Polish Press Agency's archives titled "Poland 1974. Director Andrzej Wajda during the production of the Polish feature film "The Promised Land" – by Andrzej Zbraniecki. A mintage of 72,000 stamps is planned, each measuring 40.5 x 40.5 mm. The sales sheet contains 6 stamps.
The project was created in cooperation with Professor Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda, the Kyoto-Kraków Foundation of Andrzej Wajda and Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda, the Polish Filmmakers Association, and the Senate and Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
The ceremonial resolution of the Sejm highlights the achievements of the Master
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great director, who is one of the patrons of the year 2026, the Sejm passed a resolution recognizing "the exceptional significance of Andrzej Wajda's achievements for Polish and world culture." Born on March 6, 1926, in Suwałki, the film and theatre director, screenwriter, and set designer was deemed "one of the most outstanding creators in the history of world cinema.".
Andrzej Wajda was one of the founders of the Polish Film School. His works consistently engaged in a dialogue with national history and mythology. His coherent, auteurist cinema, with a clear historical and moral undertone, challenged the romantic myth of the hero while simultaneously presenting the tragedy of the Polish fate. Hungarian film director Marta Mészáros said of Wajda: "He was the freest man I have ever known. Anyone who wants to understand Polish history should watch Andrzej Wajda's films.".
"There's talk about what national art should look like, what is and what isn't. (...) Interfering with art is not the government's job. Artists are there to take care of art, not the government. If the situation is such that the voice of artists is important, society will understand that voice and accept the art that artists create," said Andrzej Wajda after the screening of his latest film, "Afterimages."
Andrzej Wajda debuted in 1955 with "A Generation," which launched his war trilogy. "Canal" and "Ashes and Diamonds" brought him international acclaim. The 1970s cemented the artist's position as a director combining artistry with social and political commitment. It was then that he created masterpieces: "The Wedding" and "The Promised Land." With "Man of Marble" and "Without Anesthesia," he became one of the leading creators of the cinema of moral anxiety. "Man of Iron" brought him great international success, as did the subsequent film adaptation of "Pan Tadeusz," as emphasized in a resolution of the Sejm. In 2007, Wajda directed the Oscar-nominated "Katyń." The culmination of his oeuvre was "Afterimage.".
Andrzej Wajda was a soldier in the Home Army. Before graduating from the Łódź Film School, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Fascinated by Japanese culture, he initiated the construction of the Manggha Center for Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow. He won an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, an Honorary Golden Lion at Venice, an Honorary Golden Bear in Berlin, and the Polish Film Award "Orzeł." He founded the Master School of Film Directing. He was also a first-term senator, elected from the Solidarity Citizens' Committee. He was awarded the Order of the White Eagle. He died on October 9, 2016, and was buried at the Salwator Cemetery in Krakow.