Pieczka is set to be buried with state honours, with President Andrzej Duda in attendance.
Five years ago, Pieczka received from Duda the Order of the White Eagle, the highest Polish state distinction. His honours also included the Grand Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland in recognition of his outstanding contribution to national culture, as well as a Life Achievement Award from the Polish Filmmakers’ Association.
On Wednesday, the Polish parliament paid tribute to Pieczka with a minute of silence.
In his career spanning seven decades, Pieczka played leading roles in a wide range of productions with some of Poland’s top drama companies, including the Stary Theatre in Kraków, and the Dramatyczny, Narodowy and Powszechny Theatres in Warsaw.
He worked with top Polish theatre directors such as Konrad Swinarski, Jerzy Jarocki and Zygmunt Huebner. He also had to his credit numerous memorable roles in feature films, including Andrzej Wajda’s The Promised Land and The Wedding, and some highly popular television series.
(mk/gs)