It was 1957 when he made his debut in the film “The True End of the Great War” by Jerzy Kawalerowicz. However, he gained significant popularity only 17 years later thanks to the cult film directed by Jerzy Gruza (available at ). Although he had over 160 acting credits to his credit, it was the character of engineer Karwowski who became a permanent part of cinema history. However, before he achieved success and won the hearts of viewers, he had to go a long way. What was his childhood like?
Andrzej Kopiczyński’s childhood was not idyllic. The actor experienced poverty and hunger
He was born on April 15, 1934 in Międzyrzecze Podlaski in the family of Helena and Konstanty Kopiczyński, but he was raised in Augustów, where they moved when he was only a few weeks old. His father started working at the post office, and his mother took care of the house and raised three children. Although they did not live in luxury, they led a peaceful and happy life. Only the outbreak of World War II changed this.
Kopiczyński never wanted to talk about his experiences. However, he was a bit more effusive in his stories about what happened later. As he recalled, his parents decided to live in Wrocław, where the actor’s father would have much better prospects for finding permanent employment. However, this did not happen, and in a small apartment on Sienkiewicza Street, the family could barely make ends meet. – I remember the hunger – with regret years later in “Dziennik Łódzki”, adding that he did everything to help his parents in difficult times. – I remember how I tried to help my parents at all costs: to get food, money – he said.
Andrzej Kopiczyński stole to help his parents financially. He also had a way to satisfy his hunger
As a teenager, in a country devastated by the war, he did not have many opportunities to earn money, so he usually resorted to shameful acts. One of them was robbing former German apartments and selling the most valuable possessions. He was not alone in this, because he was accompanied by his peers who were in a similar situation. – For me and my colleagues it was not a problem. We all stole lead pipes from apartments because lead was very good at selling. We went to sell our loot at the “szaber square” on Grunwaldzki Square. When I ran out of lead pipes, I traded in jars and cans. They went down like hot cakes, he recalled, adding that he gave everything he earned to his parents. – I earned my first money, which I gave to my parents – he said.
However, this was often not enough even for food, as times were really hard. In order not to go hungry, he came up with the idea of visiting the community centers of nearby houses. It was in them that he ate a warm meal, thanks to which he finally began to gain weight. – When we ate soup in one, my friends and I ran to the next one. Then I felt full. I was very resourceful, he said. The family’s situation improved significantly only when his mother was employed by Count Wojciech Dzieduszycki. – He ran a mill and my mother always brought something to eat – said Kopiczyński, adding that difficult times shaped him the most.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
