Józef Kostecki (1922 - 1980) was a Polish actor. A 1948 graduate of the Theatre Academy of Warsaw, he is best known for his role of Grand Duke

Vytautas Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', Ol ...

Aleksander Ford Aleksander Ford (born Mosze Lifszyc; 24 November 1908 in Kiev, Russian Empire – 4 April 1980 in Naples, Florida, U.S.) was a Polish film director; and head of the Polish People's Army Film Crew in the Soviet Union during World War II. Followi ...

's ''

Knights of the Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

''. Józef Kostecki was born Józef Eugeniusz Kostuch on 26 February 1922 in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

. In 1945 he joined the actor's school of the

Old Theatre Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

and then moved to the National Theatre School in Łódź before finally moving to Warsaw and graduating from the Theatre Academy. In the 1940s he appeared on stage of

Polish Theatre in Poznań Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin scree ...

, Polish Army Theatre in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

and Aleksander Węgierko Theatre of

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...

before joining the Warsaw-based Teatr Współczesny (1949-1954) and then the

Ateneum Theatre The Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw ( pl, Teatr Ateneum im. Stefana Jaracza w Warszawie) is a Polish dramatic theatre founded in 1928. It resides in a building erected a year earlier in the interwar Poland as headquarters for the Professional Union of ...

(1954-1972). He was mostly cast in roles of cold, cynical and detached middle-aged gentlemen, though at times he also portrayed lovers and even comedic characters. He also appeared in numerous films, including ''

Podhale w ogniu ''Podhale w ogniu'' () is a Polish historical film about the Kostka-Napierski uprising. It was released in 1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. e ...

'',

Andrzej Munk Andrzej Munk (16 October 1921 – 20 September 1961) was a Polish film director, screen writer and documentalist. He was one of the most influential artists of the post-Stalinist period in the People's Republic of Poland. His feature films '' M ...

's ''

Heroism A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''hero ...

'', ''Knights of the Teutonic Order'', ''

Ogniomistrz Kaleń ''The Artillery Sergeant Kalen'' (Polish: Ogniomistrz Kaleń) is a Polish war movie released in 1961.''Ogniomistr ...

'' and ''

Stawka większa niż życie ''Stawka większa niż życie'' (''More Than Life at Stake'', ''Stakes Larger Than Life'' or ''Playing for High Stakes'') was a Polish black and white TV series about the adventures of a Polish secret agent in Soviet service, captain Hans Kloss ...

'' TV series, as well as numerous films shot for the ''Television Theatre'', that is theatrical plays recorded for the

Polish Television Telewizja Polska S.A. (; "Polish Television"; TVP), also known in English as the public Polish Television is a Polish state media corporation. It is the largest Polish television network, although viewership has been declining in the 2010s. Sin ...

. Kostecki retired in January 1973. He died 18 August 1980 in Warsaw and was buried at Wólka Węglowa cemetery of Warsaw.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* , as cited in:

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kostecki, Jozef 1922 births 1980 deaths 20th-century Polish male actors Polish male film actors Polish male stage actors Polish male television actors Actors from Kraków