Prize for brains behind Poland's Shakespearean Theatre

It is given annually to persons who “through their literary, academic or charitable activities, undertaken for the benefit of their home country, have attained a highly prominent position in Polish society.”

At a ceremony at Wawel Castle in Kraków, Monday, Professor Limon was praised for initiating and bringing to a successful conclusion the construction of a replica of the Shakespearean Theatre which existed in Gdańsk in the 17th century.

Sixty-five-year-old Jerzy Limon is a professor at the University of Gdańsk. He has published extensively on drama and theatre in Poland, Britain (Shakespeare Survey), the United States (Shakespeare Quarterly) and Germany.

His literary output includes translations of several English plays into Polish as well as four novels.

His honours include the The Order of the British Empire (OBE), the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland, the Jan Hevelius Academic Award of the City of Gdańsk and the Gloria Artis Medal of Cultural Merit.

The Jerzmanowski Prize was funded by the Krakow industrialist Erazm Jerzmanowski in 1912 and was awarded in the years 1915–1938 for scientific and charitable activities. Its recipients included Cardinal Adan Stefan Sapieha, the writers Henryk Sienkiewicz and Jan Kasprowicz and the legendary pianist and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Its value equalled that of 12 kilos of gold.

The prize was revived in 2009, the centenary of Erazm Jerzmanowski’s death, thanks to the funds from the Małopolska Province. Among its recipients are the activist of humanitarian organizations Janina Ochojska, the painter Jerzy Nowosielski and the lawyer Andrzej Zoll. The current value of the prize is PLN 100, 000, the equivalent of around EUR 27, 000. (mk/nh)