Lodz is Poland's third biggest city and an important industrial centre. The city, dubbed the Polish Manchester, has been famous for its textile industry, flourishing especially during the fin de siècle. The movie Promised Land based on a novel by the Nobel laureate Władysław Reymont, depicts those times. Łódź is the capital of the Łódzkie Voivodship.
A settlement on the area of present-day Łódź was first established in the 14th century and in 1423 it has been granted a town charter, along with the right to have a marketplace. However, the real development of Łódź starts with the industrial era at the beginning of the 19th century when the city was chosen to be the heart of the rapidly-growing textile industry. The population of Łódź soared from some 4k people in the 1830s and 40k in 1865 to over 300k inhabitants at the turn of the century, which was an unprecedented growth on a worldwide scale.
The rapid development of Łódź in the second half of the 19th century was brought about by the rise of enormous industrialist fortunes. New inhabitants, craftsmen and merchants came to Łódź; markets and town fairs came to life. The profits obtained from prosperous textile mills opened up practically unlimited possibilities for their owners. The city residences became expressions of the riches and power of the local tycoons. They were usually situated next to the owner's factory.
Andrzej Wajda's movie "The Promised Land" portrays Łódź's 19th century heyday.
Ever since the industrial revolution bringing a massive influx of workforce, Łódź has been a city almost equally divided between four cultures - Polish, Jewish, German and Russian. The day before the outbreak of World War II, Łódź was inhabited by approximately 672,000 people, among whom 35% were of Jewish faith and some 15% were ethnic German.
During the Nazi occupation, Łódź was incorporated directly into the Third Reich. The city was renamed to Litzmannstadt, and Piotrkowska Street was called Adolf-Hitler-Strasse. Although the city was not destroyed in the aftermath, the material losses were serious as the machinery, raw materials and finished goods have been taken away by the fleeing Nazis.
PLACE TO VISIT
Piotrkowska street.
Księży Młyn.
Jewish cemetery.
Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The Litzmannstadt Ghetto was the second largest Jewish Ghetto in Poland after the Warsaw Ghetto. The Ghetto is both referred to as the Lodz Ghetto and the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, named after the German General who captured the city. The city was renamed Litzmannstadt in honor of the General during the German occupation. The ghetto is different from many of the other large ghettos, because it was the last ghetto to be liquidated due to the high productivity of the slave laborers and no armed resistance was ever formed
Old Market Square Was once incorporated into the Ghetto. It now serves as a venue for concerts and fairs.
The Decalogue Memorial is a tribute to the coexistence of Poles and Jews. The memorial is located close to the Old Market Square.
Muzeum Sztuki, Hours: Monday: closed, Tuesday: 10 - 17, Wednesday: 11 - 17, Thursday: 12 - 19, Friday: 11 - 17, Saturday: 10 - 16, Sunday: 10 - 16. It was one of the first museums of modern art in Europe and it has a really impressing collection of Polish and international 20th century art. The building itself belonged to the Poznański family, same as the palace where Muzeum Historii Miasta Łodzi is located. (Tip: after leaving the museum take Gdańska street and go 50 meters up north to see the beautiful building of the Music Academy - previously also one of the houses of Izrael Poznański. If you are confident enough you can go in (entrance on ul. 1 Maja) to see an elegant stain glass window on the first floor.) Admission: Adults: 7,00 zł, Families: 13,00 zł; Temporary exhibitions: Adults: 4,00 zł, Reduced ticket: 3,00 zł; Free admission on Thursdays
Muzeum Historii Miasta Łodzi Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 10.00 - 16.00, Wednesday: 14.00 - 18.00, Thursday: 10.00 - 16.00, Friday: 10.00 - 14.00, Saturday: 10.00 - 14.00, Sunday: 10.00 - 14.00. Various beautiful rooms with exhibitions dedicated to some of the most famous people from Lodz including writer Julian Tuwim, pianist Artur Rubenstein, and collections of items from the daily lives of those who have lived in Lodz throughout the years.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport used to be a charter-only airport for many years but it is now changing with Ryanair flying to:
Dublin (DUB) (every other day)
London Stansted (STN) (every day)
Nottingham East Midlands (EMA) (every other day)
Shannon (SNN) (twice weekly)
Besides, LOT maintains a connection with Warsaw (you may prefer to take a train instead - however flying from Lodz is recommended if you have immediate onward flight from Warsaw) and there are numerous sky taxis operating
By train - Łódź Fabryczna is a centrally-located terminal station for domestic trains (but the announcements are in English too).
Łódź Kaliska is the station for transit trains and has connections with Czech Republic and Germany.
By car - The nearby city of Stryków will soon become an important highway junction and when it happens Łódź will probably have the best road connections among all Polish cities. The people in the city are very enthusiastic about it , despite the fact that the development plans have been changing constantly over the last decade so there is no real guarantee even now that they will be carried out.
By bus - Polski Express runs daily services from Warsaw (stops at the airport and in the centre), and from other parts of Poland, including Gdańsk and Toruń. Busses to/from Warsaw are usually full so it is worthwhile getting your ticket in advance or at least coming some 20 minutes before scheduled departure. To get a detailed schedule or buy your ticket visit the office at Lodz Fabryczna station.
