Wanda Dreszerowa

Wanda Dreszerowa, born Wanda Nowacka on June 6, 1889, lived a life that spanned the glamorous world of Warsaw's theatrical scene to the brutal realities of Nazi imprisonment. The daughter of a high school teacher from Łomża, she would become known not only for her brief but memorable career as a singer and actress, but more significantly for her courageous participation in Poland's wartime resistance movement.

Dreszerowa's theatrical career began in Warsaw's entertainment district, possibly as early as 1912 when she performed as a dancer at the Theatre Nowości under her maiden name. Her formal training included vocal studies with Juliusz Marso, preparing her for the operetta stage that would define her artistic reputation.

In 1913, she married Wacław Filochowski, a writer, publicist, and theatre critic, adopting the surname Filochowska. Her professional debut came during the 1915-16 season when she joined the Theatre Nowości ensemble, making her successful first appearance on June 24, 1916, in the role of Stella in "Dookoła miłości" (Around Love).

During her years at Theatre Nowości, which lasted until 1921, Dreszerowa established herself in several notable roles. Critics remembered her performances as Adela in "Zemsta nietoperza" (The Bat's Revenge), Hania in "Domek trzy dziewczyna" (House of Three Girls), Hrabianka Stasia in "Księżniczka czardasa" (Princess Csárdás), the title role in "Panienka z okienka" (The Girl from the Window), Iwona in "Gri-Gri," and Halina in "Gwiazda Kaukazu" (Star of the Caucasus). Theatre critic L. Sempoliński described her as a charming and temperamental performer, "endowed with good external conditions and a small, pleasant voice."

Her theatrical activities included guest performances beyond Warsaw, such as a March 1920 tour to Włocławek with L. Brodziński's troupe. However, her stage career would prove relatively brief, ending when she chose to step away from performance.

Rise in Polish Society

At the end of 1921 or beginning of 1922, Dreszerowa married General Gustaw Konstanty Dreszer, who used the pseudonym Orlicz. Dreszer was a prominent figure in the Polish Army and a political activist, elevating her position in Polish society. Following this marriage, she largely withdrew from theatrical life, making only one notable return to the stage in summer 1923 for a month-long tour of Poland with Theatre Nowości soloists, performing as Marietta in "La Bayadère" in cities including Kalisz and Płock.

However, her marriage to the general proved deeply troubled. According to contemporary accounts by Dunin-Wąsowiczowa, while Dreszerowa was "deeply in love with him and devoted to him," Dreszer conducted numerous affairs, "mostly with wives of junior officers." Among these relationships, his affair with Marysia Balcerkiewiczówna was particularly serious, causing considerable distress to his wife.

The marriage reached its breaking point when Dreszer travelled to America on state business concerning potential colonies for Poland. During the ocean voyage, he met Elwira, described as possessing "Spanish beauty." Despite being married with four adult daughters, Elwira became the object of Dreszer's intense passion. He divorced Dreszerowa and quickly married Elwira, though the new marriage began inauspiciously when the bride broke her leg on their wedding day.

The second marriage proved short-lived and complex. As an American citizen, Elwira was required to return to the United States annually to maintain alimony payments from her previous husband for her daughters' support. During one such return journey aboard the ship "Piłsudski," Dreszer flew out in an airplane to meet her as the vessel approached port. The aircraft crashed, killing the general in 1936.

The funeral arrangements reflected the complicated nature of Dreszer's relationships. Elwira, as his legal widow, occupied the place of honor during the ceremony and subsequently received a substantial military pension. Meanwhile, Dreszerowa, described as "loving and faithful," mourned "somewhere at the back or in the corner of the church," her years of devotion and suffering officially unrecognized.

Her connection to Poland's military and political elite remained evident in her social activities even after this personal upheaval. On February 28, 1935, she was among a delegation that met with the President of the Republic of Poland. The delegation, which included Ms. Sujkowska, Ms. Bartelöwna, Wittaköwna, Statleröwna, and Dreszerowa, addressed matters concerning the Union of Associations of Defenders of the Fatherland.

Even after General Dreszer's death, Dreszerowa did not return to the stage, suggesting her withdrawal from theatrical life was permanent rather than merely circumstantial. The painful years of her marriage may have contributed to her decision to remain away from public performance, though she retained her social connections within Poland's political and military circles.

Wartime Resistance Activities

When World War II erupted, Dreszerowa's comfortable position in Polish society transformed into active resistance against Nazi occupation. Her participation in underground activities led to her arrest and imprisonment, first in Warsaw's notorious Pawiak prison, then in the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany.

The specifics of her resistance work remain unclear from available records, but her imprisonment in both Pawiak and Ravensbrück indicates significant involvement in anti-Nazi activities. Pawiak served as a central detention facility for Polish political prisoners, intellectuals, and resistance fighters, while Ravensbrück was Nazi Germany's largest concentration camp for women.

Musical Activities in Ravensbrück

Despite the harsh conditions of concentration camp life, Dreszerowa found ways to maintain cultural and spiritual connections with fellow prisoners through musical performances. Her theatrical background proved valuable in organizing clandestine cultural activities that provided psychological relief and maintained Polish cultural identity among the inmates.

In Ravensbrück, prisoners marked Christmas holidays by singing carols, exchanging small handmade gifts, and performing szopka - traditional Polish musical puppet plays centered on the birth of Christ. These performances served as both religious observance and social commentary, following the Polish tradition of using szopka for cultural expression and resistance.

During the winters of 1942, 1943, and 1944, Dreszerowa participated in "Szopka Polska" (Polish Szopka) performances organized by interned actress Jadwiga Kopijowska and artist Maja Berezowska. Kopijowska directed these productions while Berezowska designed the puppet characters. Krystyna Szczepanek constructed the stick puppets according to Berezowska's artistic vision.

Dreszerowa served as one of the voice performers for the puppet characters, working alongside Wacka Wójcik, Jadwiga Ujazdowska, and Maria Kuleczko. These performances required careful secrecy, with props and puppets hidden within the prison blocks between shows. The constant threat of discovery by guards meant that performance materials had to be concealed or destroyed, though the women preserved the written text of their nativity scene, complete with Berezowska's illustrations and an introduction by Jadwiga Szałan.

The winter 1942 production involved nine separate performances, indicating both the popularity of these cultural activities among prisoners and the organizers' commitment to maintaining Polish traditions despite extreme circumstances. The singing portions were performed by Iza Sicińska's choir, while solo performances featured Dreszerowa, Wójcik, Szałan, Ujazdowska, and Kuleczko.

These cultural activities represented more than entertainment; they served as acts of resistance against the Nazi attempt to strip prisoners of their cultural identity and human dignity. By maintaining Polish Christmas traditions and performing works that incorporated social commentary - a traditional element of szopka - the women asserted their continued connection to Polish culture and values.

Survival and Later Life

Dreszerowa survived her imprisonment in both Pawiak and Ravensbrück, living until February 18, 1973, in Warsaw. Her survival through such harsh conditions speaks to both her physical resilience and the psychological strength she may have drawn from her cultural activities and connections with fellow prisoners.

Her post-war life appears to have been lived away from public attention, with no record of her returning to theatrical performance or taking on prominent public roles. This pattern followed her earlier withdrawal from the stage after her second marriage, suggesting a preference for private life over public recognition.

Dreszerowa's story illustrates the complex trajectories of Polish cultural figures during the Nazi occupation. Her transformation from an operetta performer to a resistance fighter reflects the broader experience of Polish society, where individuals from various backgrounds found themselves confronting the realities of occupation and genocide.

Her musical activities in Ravensbrück represent a significant example of cultural resistance within Nazi concentration camps. These performances demonstrate how prisoners used familiar cultural forms to maintain psychological resilience, preserve national identity, and create moments of human connection despite systematic dehumanization.

The preservation of the szopka manuscript, with its combination of traditional Polish Christmas themes and contemporary commentary, provides historians with insight into how prisoners processed their experiences and maintained hope during extreme persecution. Dreszerowa's participation in these activities shows how her theatrical training served not just artistic purposes but became a tool for survival and resistance.

Her life span from 1889 to 1973 encompassed Poland's struggle for independence, its brief interwar period of cultural flourishing, the devastation of World War II, and the challenging decades of communist rule. Through each of these periods, she adapted her skills and circumstances to the demands of her time, ultimately finding ways to contribute to Polish cultural continuity even under the most extreme conditions.

Sources

encyklopediateatru.pl/osoby/42739/wanda-filochowska-orlicz-dreszerowa