The Old Market Square, appropriately named since it is oldest square in Łódź, has been with the city since its earliest days. In the first half of the 20th century only Jews resided in this vicinity. Commerce blossomed here: this was the location of …
People flocked in great numbers to visit the market stalls on Old Market Square where almost anything could be procured. The crowd in this photo includes both children and adults, among whom we can find elegant men sporting top hats, Jews wearing…
Residential buildings constructed of wood, sharing a neighborhood with factory chimneys, were a familiar sight in Łódź before World War I. Under the Second People's Republic of Poland (1918-1939), the situation changed and such drewniaki ("wood…
The Łódź-Kaliska Train Station was built in the beginning of the 20th century, about 3 kilometers from the center of the city. The art nouveau building, designed by Czesław Domaniewski and Jan Heurich became one of the most beautiful emblems of…
The building of the Polish YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) was constructed in 1935, and the swimming pool pictured here—the only covered pool in Łódź at the time—was opened for use in 1936. Sadly, however, Jews (dominant in swimming in those…
The craftsmen arriving from Prussia settled mainly in the sauthern part of the city. During the first half of the 19th century most factories were located here. The central locale of this industrial quarter was a plaza called the Fabryczny (Factory)…
In 1895 the 3rd Division of the Łódź Fire Department was moved from Piotrkowska Street to No. 54 Mikołajewska (Sienkiewicz) Street. After the creation of the Association of Volunteer Fire Brigades of the Republic of Poland in September 1921, No. 54…
A view of what used to be Kolejowa Street (present-day Traugutta Street) looking in the direction of Kiliński Street. Carts are lined up waiting to enter the coal yard located within the Fabryczna Train Station confines.
World War I was a difficult time for Łódź inhabitants. Food and supplies aid for the poorest residents was overseen and coordinated by local government—initially by the Main Citizens' Council and later by the City Hall and City Council. These local…
This delousing facility was but one of many in Łódź at the time of the First World War. Official policy required boys and men being treated at such facilities to have their heads shaved. Here we see this service rendered by a man in medical garb.