Museum of the City of Łódź in Pałac Poznańskich

The Museum of the City of Łódź occupies the palace of Izrael Poznański at ulica Ogrodowa 15, one of the most imposing urban palaces in Łódź, built by the manufacturer immediately adjacent to his factory complex. You experience two things at once here: the representative interiors of the Poznański family, an eclectic structure combining Neo-Renaissance with Neo-Baroque, sometimes called Łódź's "Louvre", and exhibitions devoted to the history of Łódź and the people who shaped it.

Who founded the palace

Izrael Poznański, a Jewish industrialist born in 1833, was one of the three largest Łódź "cotton kings", alongside Ludwik Geyer and Karol Scheibler. He systematically expanded his enterprise from 1852 onwards, and from 1872 he opened successive mechanical looms. In 1889 the company was transformed into a joint-stock company. Employment in his plants grew from approximately seventy workers in 1865 to nearly seven thousand at the beginning of the twentieth century. Poznański, initially a stern employer, subsequently engaged in philanthropic activities, financing hospitals, orphanages and schools.

How an ordinary plot became a palace

Poznański bought the property at the junction of ulica Ogrodowa and ulica Zachodnia in 1877, and expansion to its current imposing form lasted until 1903, concluding after his death in 1900. Hilary Majewski prepared the design for thorough reconstruction in 1888; subsequent phases were conducted by Juliusz Jung, Dawid Rosenthal, Adolf Zeligson and Franciszek Chełmiński, who together with Zeligson gave the building its final eclectic form. The characteristic features of the façade are domed roofs and allegorical figures of industry.

What to see in the palace interiors

A representative staircase, reception rooms with stucco and gilding, marble and stone cladding, patterned parquetry and stained glass. The décor of the dining and ballrooms is associated with the name of Samuel Hirszenberg. In 1898 a winter garden covered with glass domes was added to the residence. The layout of the interiors shows that this was not merely a house: alongside the grand salons for receiving guests and conducting business were intimate residential rooms.

From voivode's seat to museum

From 1927-1939 the palace housed the Provincial Administration Office, during German occupation the German administration, and in 1975 the building was taken over by the museum, which adapted the basements and reconstructed the interiors. The entry in the register of historical monuments carries the date of 20 January 1971, and in 2015 the building fell within the boundaries of a historical monument encompassing the multicultural landscape of industrial Łódź. Extensive renovation work, including the renovation of the elevation and renewal of the surroundings, was completed in 2020.

Permanent exhibitions requiring time

The exhibitions concern the family of manufacturers, city history and the biographies of Łódź residents who pursued careers far beyond the city.

• The Poznańskis: Palace. Power. Generations - new arrangement of the first floor of the Poznański family palace.
• Arthur Rubinstein Music Gallery - the world's largest collection devoted to the pianist, occupying two rooms on the first floor.
• Łódź in Europe. Europe in Łódź - about how a settlement transformed into a great industrial metropolis.
• Karski, Margolis, Edelman - three biographies connected with Łódź and twentieth-century history.
• Kosiński: re/compositions of self - an exhibition about writer Jerzy Kosiński and his wartime experience.
• Model of the Lost Quarter - reconstruction of the city's layout from 1939.

The palace by the former factory

The palace stands immediately adjacent to Poznański's former factory complex, which comprised a weaving mill, bleachery, spinning mill, mechanical workshops, foundry and cotton warehouses. Some of these buildings survive as the Izrael Poznański Factory in Łódź, and part of the former factory is now occupied by the shopping and entertainment centre Manufaktura. Nearby, on Ogrodowa, contemporary art is presented at the ms2 Museum of Art.

Branches outside Ogrodowa

The museum operates three locations: the palace on Ogrodowa, the Dętka Canal Museum under plac Wolności and the Museum of Sport and Tourism. Dętka is an underground reservoir from 1926, designed by William Heerlein Lindley, a brick corridor over 142 metres long. Access leads from a glass pavilion in the northern part of plac Wolności, and visits are conducted with a guide. This branch is open Wednesday to Thursday from 10.00-17.00 and Friday to Sunday from 11.00-18.00; closed Monday and Tuesday. The Museum of Sport and Tourism operates at aleja Politechniki 10.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Ogrodowa 15, 91-065 Łódź, Bałuty-Centrum district; information and ticket office on 42 307 23 78.
• Getting there: the palace stands on the western side of the former New Town, in direct proximity to Manufaktura and plac Wolności, so you can reach it by any route leading to the shopping centre on Ogrodowa.
• What to expect: visits to the palace interiors and several permanent exhibitions in one building, an eclectic façade with domes and allegorical sculptures, as well as guided tours by telephone reservation on 42 307 13 82.
• Opening hours of the main location are changed seasonally, so check them on the museum website before your visit. The same applies to the free admission day.