The tributes came on the eve of a holiday during which Poles were expected to flock to cemeteries in droves to remember their dead.
Poles traditionally honour their deceased relatives and friends on All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2.
The Gazeta Polska Codziennie daily, in an article entitled “Rest in Peace,” on Thursday remembered some well-known Polish public figures who have passed away this year.
These include former Prime Minister Jan Olszewski; onetime dissident Kornel Morawiecki, the father of the current Polish prime minister; former Environment Minister Jan Szyszko; and Auschwitz survivor Karol Tendera, a social activist who sought to set the record straight over World War II death camps.
The paper also mentioned Roman Catholic bishop Tadeusz Pieronek, a significant religious figure who died at the end of last year and was laid to rest in early January.
Another prominent name mentioned by the paper was Paweł Adamowicz, the slain mayor of the northern city of Gdańsk, whose violent death early this year left people in shock and searching for answers. Adamowicz died from wounds inflicted by a knife-wielding assailant during a high-profile charity event in January.
Meanwhile, Gazeta Wyborcza daily paid tribute to celebrities including filmmaker Kazimierz Kutz, comedian Jan Kobuszewski, film and theatre actress Zofia Czerwińska, and historian Karol Modzelewski.
While some people were preparing to celebrate Halloween on Thursday, a spokesman for Poland's Roman Catholic bishops has slammed the feast as alien to Polish culture and tradition.
He encouraged Poles to instead take part in “Holy Wins,” an initiative promoted by some Catholics as an alternative to what they see as the pagan and sinister Halloween.
Fewer than one in five Poles—18.6 percent—planned to celebrate Halloween this year, according to a survey.
(gs/pk)
Source: Gazeta Polska Codziennie, Gazeta Wyborcza