Łabuńska Elżbieta

She was born on 5th June 1910, in Toruń. She was a theatre actress.

She stayed loyal to the theatre where she made her début back in 1928 and performed there for her entire career. In 1929, she performed in the stage drama ,,Włamanie” by Adam Grzymała-Siedlecki at the Reduta Theatre in Vilnius. Then, she started performing at Wołyński Theatre in Lutsk. From 1935 onwards, Elżbieta Łubańska was part of the troupe of actors at the Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw. In 1935, she played in two stage plays at Comedia Theatre in Warsaw, namely in ,,Rekruci” by Kazimierz Gołba and in ,,Bohater naszych czasów” by Leon Kruczkowski. In the second half of the 1930s, she also performed at the Polish Theatre in Poznań.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, she was arrested and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, which she managed to survive. After the war ended, she moved to Łódź, where she first performed at Teatr Wojska Polskiego (Theatre of the Polish Army) (in the years 1945-46), and then at Teatr Kameralny Domu Żołnierza (Studio Theatre of the Soldier’s Home) (in the years 1946-48). In 1949, the actress moved to Warsaw where she worked, in turn, for Teatr Powszechny (in the years 1949-50), Teatr Nowej Warszawy (in the years 1950-55), Teatr Młodej Warszawy (in the years 1955-57), and Teatr Klasyczny (in the years 1957-70), where she performed the longest.

In 1947, Elżbieta Łabuńska debuted on the silver screen, which turned out to be the only film she ever played in. She performed in the film ,,Ostatni etap”/ “The Last Stage” directed by Wanda Jakubowska, dedicated to the martyring of women at the Auschwitz death camp, based on a true story.

After retiring, she started working for Polskie Radio (Polish Radio), where she ran a radio show for foreigners in German.

She died on 2nd June 1991, in Warsaw, and was interred at the Cmentarz Komunalny Północny (municipal cemetery).

Selected filmography

  • 1947 – ,,Ostatni etap”/ “”The Last Stage”, dir. by Wanda Jakubowska