Browse Items (226 total)

During World War I, the material and medical conditions in which Łódź residents lived were dire. The lack of detergents, especially of regular soap, made proper upkeep of personal hygiene nearly impossible. Communicable diseases such as cholera,…

This photograph presents one of the many delousing facilities in Łódź at the time of the First World War. Official policy required girls and women being treated at such facilities to have their heads shaved. Here we see this service rendered by a man…

This photo pictures some dozen Jewish boys at their studies in a cheder. The Melamed (teacher), seated at the center of the school bench, is surrounded on both sides by boys reading from books. Other boys wait patiently behind the bench.

By a ruling of Parliament on April 23, 1937, National Independence Day was designated a Polish state holiday—and, significantly, a day off from work. Previously, it had been a day off only for educators and government administration. This photo…

Article 1 of a ruling announced in the Journal of Laws, Isuue 33, for April 23, 1937 reads: "The day of November 11, marking the anniversary of the attainment of national independence by the Polish People and permanently bound up with the great name…

November 11th was treated as a special day in the Second People's Republic. On this day, military parades were organized and important celebrations were held at the state level. In addition, during a special ceremony held at the Presidential Palace…

In this photograph, we are shown a market stall specializing in fabrics. A number of men attired in gabardines mill around near the booth. One man's appearance gives away his profession—he is wearing a characteristic porter's rope across his…

A poorly dressed Jewish boy sells his wares at the market. His satisfied smile tells us he can work and has something to sell or trade.

This portrait of two Jewish women bears witness to the extent of the poverty Lodzers suffered in the World-War-I era. Though barefoot and dressed in rags, they are smiling thanks to the victuals in their baskets, which they procured for their…

From 1916 to 1918, nearly all industrial activity in Łódź came to a standstill—there was no work to be found, food staples were in short supply, and food prices had risen to several times their former value. Many Lodzer families became destitute and…