Murale: Bałuty-Centrum

Bałuty-Centrum brings together two different faces of street art: colourful, decorative murals near Manufaktura and a solemn cycle of portraits of children from the Łódź ghetto, scattered across the surrounding streets. Eleven works in total, some simply a tourist attraction, others a memorial site that calls for a moment to stop and reflect.

Colourful murals near Manufaktura and Rybna Street

The Mikołaj Rejs mural on the facade of Manufaktura, facing the market square, covers a wall measuring 36 by 8 metres and depicts a fairy-tale underwater world painted entirely with spray paint. On Rybna Street, a few hundred metres away, the Otecki mural combines cubist forms with motifs from Slavic folklore and folk paper cutouts (wycinanki).

A mural and a poem-mural on Organizacji WiN Street

Two different works stand at the same address, Organizacji WiN 10. The mural honouring Halina Szwarc commemorates a Home Army intelligence agent and later doctor, the founder of Polish gerontology, on the tenement house where she lived. In the courtyard of the same property is the poem-mural by Nitzan Mintz, the first work of this kind in Poland, in Polish and Hebrew versions, dedicated to a resident of the tenement house from the time of the ghetto.

The "Children of Bałuty - memorial murals" cycle

Six portraits on various streets of Bałuty-Centrum together form a project commemorating children imprisoned in the Łódź ghetto during the Second World War, painted by Piotr Saul and Damian Idzikowski in 2016. The portrait of Zisele Świerc on Gęsia Street depicts the five-year-old daughter of a Bałuty shoemaker. The portrait of Salek Berliński on Franciszkańska Street commemorates a child deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The portrait of Dawid Sierakowiak on Spacerowa Street shows the young chronicler of the Łódź ghetto. On Łagiewnicka Street stand two portraits from the same series side by side: at number 35 and at number 33, both created for the 75th anniversary of the deportation of Jews from Western Europe to the ghetto. The cycle closes with two portraits based on prewar photographs by Włodzimierz Pfeiffer: on Berlińskiego Street and on Zielna Street, showing two different girls from the same collection of photographs from 1936.

How to plan a route through Bałuty-Centrum

The murals near Manufaktura and on Rybna Street lie close together and make a good start to a walk. The "Children of Bałuty" cycle is spread across several streets, so the route between the portraits takes more time than simply viewing them - it's worth planning an unhurried walk lasting a few hours, rather than a quick round from photo to photo.

Frequently asked questions about murals in Bałuty-Centrum

What's the difference between the murals near Manufaktura and the "Children of Bałuty" cycle?
The Mikołaj Rejs and Otecki murals are decorative works from the Urban Forms Gallery, while the "Children of Bałuty" cycle is a series of portraits commemorating specific children imprisoned in the Łódź ghetto - it's a memorial site, not just a photo attraction.

How many murals from the "Children of Bałuty" cycle are in Bałuty-Centrum?
This part of the district has six portraits, located on Gęsia, Franciszkańska, Spacerowa, Łagiewnicka and Berlińskiego streets.

What is the poem-mural on Organizacji WiN Street?
It's the first street poetry work of its kind in Poland - a poem by Nitzan Mintz painted directly on the wall in Polish and Hebrew versions, dedicated to a resident of the tenement house from the time of the ghetto.

Is visiting the murals in Bałuty-Centrum free?
Yes, all the murals are in public space and can be viewed without restriction, at any time.

See also

All the murals in the region are gathered in the murals in the Łódź region category, and the full list of Łódź's attractions is on the attractions in Łódź page. Murals in another part of the city are shown on the murals in Śródmieście-Wschód page, and you'll find a full map of the points on the attractions map.