Halina Mikołajska-Brandys (22 March 1925 – 22 June 1989; ) was a Polish actress, director, and pro-democracy activist.

Biography Halina Mikołajska was born on 22 March 1925 in Kraków, Poland.

During the Second World War, while under the German occupation, she performed in the Adam Mularczyk's underground theatre in Kraków. After the conflict, Mikołajska studied chemistry at the Jagiellonian University from 1945 to 1946, as well as acting at the National Academy of Theatre Arts, which she graduated in 1947. She performed in the National Dramatic Theatres in Kraków from 1946 to 1949, the Dramatic Theatres in Wrocław until 1950, as well as numerous theatres in Warsaw, including the Polish Theatre from 1950 to 1954 and 1982 to 1983, the Contemporary Theatre from 1955 to 1962 and 1967 to 1980, and the National Theatre from 1962 to 1966. Mikołajska also performed in numerous feature films, including Adventure in Marienstadt (1953), Nobody's Calling (1960), Another Shore (1962), Family Life (1971), Awards and Decorations (1973), A Woman's Decision (1975), Camouflage (1977), and Postcard from the Journey (1984), as well as in numerous radio shows.

From 1953 to 1962, Mikołajska was taught acting at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.

In the 1970s, she began being active in the dissident movement opposing the communist authoritarian government of the Polish People's Republic. In 1975, Mikołajska was one of the signatories of the Letter of 59, protesting against the changes of the state constitution. In 1976 she joined the Workers' Defence Committee, and in 1977, the KOR Committee for Social Self-Defense. In January 1978, she was one of the signatories of the founding declaration of the Society for Academic Courses. Mikołajska was repeatedly harassed by the Security Service, and, beginning in 1976, she was blacklisted from performing in film, television, radio, and later, also in theatre. In 1976, she has survived a suicidal attempt.

During the period of the martial law in Poland, she was placed in the internment camps in Darłówko, Gołdap, and Jaworze between 1981 and 1982.

On 4 June 1989, shortly prior to her death, Mikołajska voted in the first partially free parliamentary election in the country. She died on 22 June 1989 in Warsaw, and was buried in the nearby village of Laski.

Private life She was married to architect Janusz Ballenstedt from 1944 to 1948, and to painter Aleksander Stefanowski, whom she also divorced.J. Krzysztof Lenartowicz: "Janusz Ballenstedt i jego teoria minimum w architekturze". Teka Komisji Urbanistyki i Architektury, vo. 46, 2018, p. 41–59. (in Polish) In 1955, she married writer Marian Brandys. She was an aunt of singer and songwriter Antonina Krzysztoń.

Commemorations On 4 June 2012, in the Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły Park in Warsaw, near the senate building, was unveiled a monument dedicated to her, designed by Krystyna Fałdyga-Solska.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1954 Adventure in Marienstadt Bricklayer Feature film; uncredited 1955 Wesele Rachela Television play1956 Było 10 murzynów Television play Lato Television play 1958 Eroica Feature film; uncredited1959 Freuda teoria snów Her Television play Powiem wam kto zabił Sara Drummond Television play 1960 Mizantrop Television play Nobody's Calling Olga Stareńska Feature film Podróż do zielonych cieni Television play Troja, miasto otwarte Beata Television play 1961 Arlekinada Edna Television play Lata nauki Wilhelma Meistra Aurelia Television play Makowskie bajki Television play Noc tysiączna druga Lady Claudia Television play Zapis Countess Television play 1962 Another Shore Woman with a child Feature film Dwa teatry Television play Homer I Orchidea Television play Jestem dorosły Television play 1963 By the Railway Track Jewish woman Short film Prometeusz w okowach Io Television play Aktorki. Parias Mrs. X Television play 1964 Tonio Kruger Lizaweta Television play Lubow Jarowaja Television play 1964 Zapiski majora Pycia Hanna Drwęska Television play Śmierć gubernatora Anna Maria Television play Księga Hioba Mary Herup Television play Drzwi muszą być albo otwarte albo zamknięte Markiza Television play Adwokat i róże Dorota Television play 1966 OczekiwanieFreda Television play Żeglarz Doktorowa Television play 1967 O długim czekaniu Television play Listy panny de Lespinasse Television play Krzyk w próżni świata Dr. Renata W. Television play Fedra Fedra Television play 1969 Niemcy Liesel Television play 1970 W małym dworku Anastazja Nibek Television play Duża sala Television play CudzoziemkaRóża Television play AndromachaTetyda Television play 1971 Bogumił I Barbara Narrator Television play Family Life Jadwiga Feature film Lalka z łóżka nr 21 Wilma Jelinek Television play 1972 Dama Pikowa Anna Fiedotown Television play Lato w Nohant George Sand Television play 1973 Awards and Decorations National Armed Forces employee Feature film Krystyna I Erland Lady Aashild Television play 1974 Niemcy Berta Television play 1975 A Woman's Decision Róża Feature film Żywa maska Margravine Television play Zagrożenie Zofia Television play Rok Polski Television play 1976 Camouflage Actress reading poems Feature film 1981 Molier, czyli perfidna zmowa świętoszków Magdalena Bejart Television play 1983 Postcard from the Journey Grandmother Grossmanowa Feature film 2009 Revisited Jadwiga Feature film; archival footage

Decorations Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1954) Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1963) Badge of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish State (1967) Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2006; posthumously)

Awards 1951: 2nd-degree State Award for the role of Anna in Stefan Żeromski's play Grzech, directed by Bohdan Korzeniewski in Polish Theatre in Warsaw;"Nagrody Państwowe za osiągnięcia w dziedzinie nauki, postępu technicznego, literatury i sztuki". Życie Warszawy, year 12, no. 173 (3656), p. 5, 22 July 1955. Warasaw: Instytut Prasy Czytelnik. (in Polish) 1955: 2nd-degree State Award for the role of Ethel in Leon Kruczkowski's play Juliusz i Ethel, directed by Aleksander Bardini in Polish Theatre in Warsaw; 1958: Polish Radio and Television Committee Award for the role of Warwara in audioplay Biedni ludzie, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky script; 1970: distinction by magazine Kobieta i życie; 1971: Golden Screen (Złoty Ekran) for the best women's performance for the role of Tetyda in the television play Andromacha, directed by Jan Maciejowski; 1971: Golden Screen (Złoty Ekran) for the best women's performance for the role of Róża in Cudzoziemce, directed by Jan Kulczyński; 1971: Golden Screen (Złoty Ekran) for the best women's performance in Duża sala, directed by Aleksander Bardini; 1971: Golden Screen (Złoty Ekran) for the best women's performance for the role of Anastazja in W małym dworku directed by Zygmunt Hübner; 1971: Polish Radio and Television Committee Award for the overall performance of the year 1970 in the Polish Television plays;

Notes

References

External links Halina Mikołajska at IMDb Halina Mikołajska at FilmPolski.pl (in Polish) Halina Mikołajska at Filmweb (in Polish)