Zygmunt Turkow

{{Short description|Polish actor, playwright and director}}

{{Expand Polish|topic=bio|date=March 2011|Zygmunt Turkow}}

File:Zygmunt Turkow.jpg

Zygmunt Turkow (6 November 1896 – 20 January 1970) was a Polish actor, playwright, and director of Jewish origin from Warsaw, who became famous for roles in the pre-war Jewish films and stage plays in Yiddish. His brother, Jonas Turkow, was also a noted actor and stage manager. In 1924, he directed and acted in the silent film Tkies-khaf.{{cite web |title=A Vilna Legend |url=https://jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/avilnalegend.htm |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=National Center for Jewish Film}}

Shortly after German invasion of Poland in 1939 he left Poland together with his second wife. In 1940 he settled in Brazil. In 1952, he moved to Israel. Turkow produced works by Iso Szajewicz at the Nowości Theatre, where he worked for many years. He was the founder of several notable theatres, including the Brazilian National Theatre in 1940 and the traveling Zuta Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1956, where he served as manager and director.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php/21681|title=Zygmunt Turkow|publisher=Film Polski|access-date=29 March 2011}}{{cite book|last1=Zable|first1=Arnold|last2=Ayzenbud|first2=Mosheh|title=Wanderers and dreamers: tales of the David Herman Theatre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aakbAQAAIAAJ|access-date=30 March 2011|year=1998|publisher=Hyland House|isbn=978-1-86447-061-1|page=67}}

The Zygmunt Turkow Theatre is named in his honor.{{cite book|last=Fuks|first=Marian|title=Polish Jewry: history and culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kcZtAAAAMAAJ|access-date=29 March 2011|year=1982|publisher=Interpress Publishers|isbn=9788322320020}}