Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź

History

Entering the almost 20,000 square metre site of historic factories and the associated Culture Park today, you would hardly believe that a part of it was still used for cotton spinning until 2002. At the same time, this reflects the success of this museum complex, which has left a lasting mark on the cityscape and ranks among the most prominent post-industrial facilities in Poland. Its highlight, the "White Factory", was the first fully-fledged Polish textile mill and a symbol of the emerging industrial city of Łódź. It is composed of four historic buildings, the earliest of which dates back to 1838 and still retains its authentic architecture, including wooden columns and ceilings. Two permanent exhibitions illustrate a unique industrial history. "City - Fashion- Machine" is dedicated to the rise and decline of Łódź as a centre of the textile industry. The display relies on an impressive historical machine pool that periodically comes to rattling, hissing life, as well as on several important textile collections showcasing 20th and 21st century fashion trends as well as traditional regional garments. The collection of contemporary textile art, which is also on show here, is even considered one of the largest in the world. "Microhistories. Łódź and its people", in contrast, introduces visitors to meticulously reconstructed homes and workshops and puts them right in the middle of everyday life: They witness the preparation of dumplings, the sharing of the wafer on Christmas Eve or the family celebration after the birth of a child. In the Łódź City Culture Park they encounter a typical tram station, a manufacturer's villa from the 1930s, a church and five wooden houses representing 19th and 20th century architecture of the region. The "White Factory" has been gradually converted for museum purposes since 1955 to allow the various wings to be used as exhibition rooms. Today it combines the history of technology and industry with art, design, fashion, regional history and cultural anthropology.