The Polish theatre community pays tribute today to Helena Modrzejewska, the great actress who skyrocketed to worldwide fame at the end of the 19th century. 

She died one hundred years ago today. Known as Modjeska, she became a Shakespearean star in the United States and England.
Born in Krakow in 1840, she developed a spectacular career in the theatres of Krakow and Warsaw.  At the age of 36 she decided to leave  Poland together with her aristocrat husband to establish a utopian community in California. Following several years of intensive study of English, she made a debut at the California Theatre and subsequently won enormous acclaim for her Shakespearean roles.

Modjeska became a US citizen in 1883. After her death on 8 April 1909, her remains were taken to Poland. Her funeral at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow turned into a great patriotic manifestation.

In a special resolution the Polish Parliament paid homage to Helena Modjeska, describing her as ‘the star of two continents and an extraordinary personality who made Polish arts and culture known overseas.’ Earlier this week a commemorative plaque in tribute to Modjeska was unveiled at the Church of St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Church in New York’s Manhattan, the one in which her funeral mass took place.

MK