Museum of the Factory

Museum of the Factory is located on a floor of the Manufaktura shopping centre, in the former building of a fabric printing works, just by the entrance to Cinema City cinema. It tells the story of the factory and residential complex of Izrael Poznański, one of the largest industrial plants in 19th-century Europe.

The founding of Poznański's factory

Izrael Poznański purchased the land for the future factory in 1871. The first departments were opened a year later, when a weaving mill equipped with 200 mechanical English looms began operations. In 1874-1875, another 1040 looms were added along with a finishing department. The entire complex, designed by architect Hilary Majewski, was built in stages until 1892 and by the end of the 19th century covered approximately 30 hectares.

A city within a city

Poznański's factory operated as an independent industrial organism. It comprised a spinning mill, weaving mills, bleaching plant, dyeworks, printing works, repair shop, smithy, foundry, gas works, its own fire brigade, warehouses and a railway siding connecting the plant to the rail network. An owner's palace and workers' houses were also built on the complex grounds, so the entire area lived to the rhythm of one factory. The scale of the undertaking meant that Poznański's complex was among the largest textile industry plants in Europe at that time.

From factory to shopping centre

After years of industrial use, the former complex underwent conversion between 2002 and 2006 into the Manufaktura shopping and entertainment centre. One of the former printing works was designated as a museum dedicated to the history of the plant. The exhibition was designed by Mirosław Nizio, creator of the exhibition at the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising.

What the exhibition shows

The exhibition combines photographs, documents, films and architectural plans with samples of raw materials and products from the former factory. The museum also has a cinema room and an observation terrace, from which there is a view over the entire Manufaktura grounds. A similar story of Łódź industrialists, though of a different family, is presented in the city at Herbst Palace Museum.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Drewnowska 58, Łódź, second floor of the Manufaktura complex.
• Getting there: entrance from the Cinema City side, within the Manufaktura shopping centre.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, closed on Monday. It is worth checking the current opening hours on the museum website before your visit.
• Contact: telephone 42 664 92 93, email muzeum@manufaktura.com.
• What to expect: history exhibition on one floor, observation terrace and cinema room.