Matysiakowie
Encyclopedia
Matysiakowie is one of the most popular Polish
radio drama
s. The series tells a story of a fictional Polish family, Matysiakowie, from Powiśle
, Warsaw
.
It debuted in 1956 and with one 25-minute episode every week on Saturday it has continued until present on Program 1 of Polskie Radio
, making it one of the longest-running radio dramas in the world. Episode 2600 was broadcast in December 2006, and Episode 2815 in January 2011. It is estimated that more than ten million Poles have listened to the audition.
The creator of the series and principal scriptwriter was Jerzy Janicki
; other scriptwriters included Stanisław Stampf'l, Władysław Żesławski and Dżennet Półtorzycka. The series had featured many actors (over 250 since the show begun), including Jerzy Bończak
, Tadeusz Fijewski
, Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, Edmund Fetting
, Krzysztof Chamiec, Mieczysław Czechowicz, Hanka Bielicka
, Maciej Damięcki, Jan Englert
and others. In recent years the series is also distributed by Polskie Radio as a podcast
.
For the first few years Polskie Radio made no official announcements about the show, which led many to believe it was not a play, but a form of a reality show. Although the show's popularity has waned in recent years, it used to be the most popular radio drama in Poland (declared as such by the Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej study in 1968http://www.dk.uni.wroc.pl/texty/prl_03.pdf), with estimated 12 million listenershttp://www.radio.com.pl/jedynka/patronaty.aspx?iID=72.
The Matysiaks family mirror many events from contemporary Polish history; however despite being created during the times of communist People's Republic of Poland
it has never been a propaganda
mouthpiece—one of the reasons that may explain the show's popularity. Created in December 1956, soon after the events of the Polish October
, in the first episode of 1956, the family members were donating to a charity
"for Hungarians". Not a single family member has ever joined the Polish communist party. The show had to deal with censorship
; for example, the censors forbade to mention a church marriage
in the 1970s. The show was also stopped for half a year during martial law in Poland
in 1981.
For the most part, however, the series is concerned with everyday life's issues: living on small worker's wage and rents, children's educations, local events in Warsaw, and so on; but the big topics return every now and then, such as discussion on the lustration
. The series tries do distance itself from a soap opera
image by concentrating on such issues, with little 'big events' or romance; only once during the entire 50+ history of the series one of the main characters was considering an extra-marital affair. On some levels the family is idealized as "the good guys", Polish patriots: their members fought in the siege of Warsaw (1939)
, the Warsaw Uprising
of 1944 and even in the battle of Monte Cassino
. The characters of the series age and die as in real life, their children grow up to replace them on the antenna. Their backgrounds change as the worker's family children receive higher education, and live in the modern Computer Age.
Because of its popularity, the show also received gifts and donations from listeners. People involved with the Matysiakowie show helped organize such gestures of goodwill, organizing a nursing home
in the 1960s, a monument to Bolesław Prus in 1970s and Ignacy Paderewski in 1980s; currently they support the animal rights
movement in Poland.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
s. The series tells a story of a fictional Polish family, Matysiakowie, from Powiśle
Powisle
Powiśle is a neighbourhood in Warsaw's borough of Śródmieście . It is located between the Vistula river and its escarpment...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
It debuted in 1956 and with one 25-minute episode every week on Saturday it has continued until present on Program 1 of Polskie Radio
Polskie Radio
Polskie Radio Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's national publicly funded radio broadcasting organization.- History :Polskie Radio was founded on 18 August 1925 and began making regular broadcasts from Warsaw on 18 April 1926....
, making it one of the longest-running radio dramas in the world. Episode 2600 was broadcast in December 2006, and Episode 2815 in January 2011. It is estimated that more than ten million Poles have listened to the audition.
The creator of the series and principal scriptwriter was Jerzy Janicki
Jerzy Janicki
Jerzy Janicki was a Polish writer, journalist and scriptwriter. Author of many radio auditions, among them most famous is the radio drama Matysiakowie. He wrote many books about Kresy, particularly about the city of Lwów .-External links: , Gazeta Wyborcza, 2007-04-15,...
; other scriptwriters included Stanisław Stampf'l, Władysław Żesławski and Dżennet Półtorzycka. The series had featured many actors (over 250 since the show begun), including Jerzy Bończak
Jerzy Bończak
Jerzy Bończak is a Polish actor. He appeared in the television series Aby do świtu... in 1992.-References:...
, Tadeusz Fijewski
Tadeusz Fijewski
Tadeusz Fijewski was a Polish film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1927 and 1978.-Selected filmography:* Pod banderą miłości * Prokurator Alicja Horn * Granny Had No Worries...
, Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, Edmund Fetting
Edmund Fetting
Edmund Fetting was a Polish movie and theatrical actor and occasional singer.Fetting was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Gold Cross of Merit ....
, Krzysztof Chamiec, Mieczysław Czechowicz, Hanka Bielicka
Hanka Bielicka
Anna Weronika Bielicka was a Polish singer and actress known by the name Hanna and its affectionate diminutive Hanka.-Career:...
, Maciej Damięcki, Jan Englert
Jan Englert
Jan Englert is a Polish film actor. He has appeared in over 60 films since 1957.-Selected filmography:* Liberation * Salt of the Black Earth * Pearl in the Crown * Osadeni Dushi...
and others. In recent years the series is also distributed by Polskie Radio as a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
.
For the first few years Polskie Radio made no official announcements about the show, which led many to believe it was not a play, but a form of a reality show. Although the show's popularity has waned in recent years, it used to be the most popular radio drama in Poland (declared as such by the Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej study in 1968http://www.dk.uni.wroc.pl/texty/prl_03.pdf), with estimated 12 million listenershttp://www.radio.com.pl/jedynka/patronaty.aspx?iID=72.
The Matysiaks family mirror many events from contemporary Polish history; however despite being created during the times of communist People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
it has never been a propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
mouthpiece—one of the reasons that may explain the show's popularity. Created in December 1956, soon after the events of the Polish October
Polish October
Polish October, also known as October 1956, Polish thaw, or Gomułka's thaw, marked a change in the Polish internal political scene in the second half of 1956...
, in the first episode of 1956, the family members were donating to a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
"for Hungarians". Not a single family member has ever joined the Polish communist party. The show had to deal with censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
; for example, the censors forbade to mention a church marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
in the 1970s. The show was also stopped for half a year during martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
in 1981.
For the most part, however, the series is concerned with everyday life's issues: living on small worker's wage and rents, children's educations, local events in Warsaw, and so on; but the big topics return every now and then, such as discussion on the lustration
Lustration
Lustration is the government process regulating the participation of former communists, especially informants of the communist secret police, in the successor political appointee positions or in civil service positions in the period after the fall of the various European Communist states in 1989 –...
. The series tries do distance itself from a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
image by concentrating on such issues, with little 'big events' or romance; only once during the entire 50+ history of the series one of the main characters was considering an extra-marital affair. On some levels the family is idealized as "the good guys", Polish patriots: their members fought in the siege of Warsaw (1939)
Siege of Warsaw (1939)
The 1939 Battle of Warsaw was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army garrisoned and entrenched in the capital of Poland and the German Army...
, the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
of 1944 and even in the battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
. The characters of the series age and die as in real life, their children grow up to replace them on the antenna. Their backgrounds change as the worker's family children receive higher education, and live in the modern Computer Age.
Because of its popularity, the show also received gifts and donations from listeners. People involved with the Matysiakowie show helped organize such gestures of goodwill, organizing a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in the 1960s, a monument to Bolesław Prus in 1970s and Ignacy Paderewski in 1980s; currently they support the animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
movement in Poland.