Lodz, a UNESCO Creative City in Poland, Lodz, Poland

Red-brick factory buildings tower above the roads leading into the Polish city of Łódź (Łódź). Huge workers’ tenement houses line the streets. An early introduction to the history of a town where 600 spinning mills operated at the beginning of the twentieth century. No wonder renowned local poet Julian Tuwim called it the chimney town. And it remains so despite the almost total collapse of the textile spinning and weaving industry towards the end of the twentieth century. But an extensive programme of renovation and revival means the city is shedding its industrial image and acquiring a reputation for art in its many forms. Industrial structures that have been revitalized are now used for different purposes including hotels, residential lofts, offices, shops and spaces for events and festivals. In 2015 Industrial Łódź was listed as an Historical Monument by the Polish President. A year later Łódź was added to the UNESCO network of Creative Cities when it was designated a UNESCO City of Film. The textile magnates have certainly left their mark on Łódź. Poznański Palace is an excellent example of the grandeur of that era.

Today the palatial state rooms of the Poznański Palace are open to the public and visitors can see for themselves the grandeur of those prosperous days of the textile industry in Łódź. Izrael Poznański was the second wealthiest cotton king during that period. He owned his own brick company and all the bricks used to build the illustrious residence are inscribed with his initials IP. The architecture is a mixture of styles as he could afford to extend the building in any style he liked. On the other side of the state rooms, which the family would use for formal occasions, are the smaller, cosier rooms they lived in. The bedroom that belonged to the mistress of the house as a large wardrobe with a door on the bedroom side and one opening on to the maid’s room next door. The maid could collect the clothes from the wardrobe to wash and iron them without having to enter her mistress’s bedroom. Below the state rooms is the Museum of Łódź. A combination of exhibits and inter-active displays that tell the history of the city. Next to the palace is the relatively small Textile Museum. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).