Henryk Tomaszewski’s Polish School of Pantomime as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Europe and Beyond. A Research Reconnaissance
Henryk Tomaszewski’s Polish School of Pantomime as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Europe and Beyond. A Research Reconnaissance

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the contribution of the Polish school of mime, founded by Henryk Tomaszewski, to the intangible cultural heritage of Europe and the wider world over the past seventy years. It demonstrates how the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre (WPT) – characterised by its strong ensemble ethos, large-scale mime dramas, references to literary works central to European culture, distinctive aesthetic, and conscious departure from the French tradition of “pure mime” – exerted a significant influence on the international development of stage art. The article focuses on three prominent actors from the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre who later continued their work in France, the United States, and Scandinavia: Stefan Niedziałkowski, Ella Jaroszewicz, and Stanisław Brzozowski. Their biographies, artistic achievements, and educational activities are analysed to show how Tomaszewski’s legacy has been preserved and extended through their influence on a wide circle of artists worldwide. The source base for the article includes literature published in several countries, research in European and American press archives, and extensive interviews with the artists conducted between 2023 and 2025 (with the artists also making their personal archives available to the author). The author argues that pantomime, as a non-verbal form of communication, easily transcends linguistic and cultural barriers and plays a vital role in international artistic exchange. To date, no comprehensive study has addressed the full scope of this phenomenon. The legacy of the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre remains insufficiently recognised – even in Poland – despite the fact that its principles, techniques, and structural patterns often shape, albeit anonymously, the landscape of contemporary pantomime, ballet, dance, and acting.

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