Old Cemetery

Stary Cmentarz in Łódź is a complex of three separate religious necropolises, laid out along Ogrodowa and Srebrzyńska streets in Stare Polesie [Old Polesie district]. The Catholic, Evangelical-Augsburg and Orthodox cemeteries were established in the same place in the mid-nineteenth century and together form one of the largest cemetery complexes in the city, recognised as a historical monument.

Three necropolises in one place

The cemetery was established in 1855. Today it comprises three sections: a Catholic section covering approximately 11 hectares, an Evangelical-Augsburg section occupying nearly 9 hectares, and a considerably smaller Orthodox section, less than one hectare. In total this is approximately 21 hectares of greenery and old avenues, through which gravestones from almost two centuries are interspersed.

Catholic section

The Catholic section of the complex functions as a separate entry under the name Cmentarz Rzymskokatolicki p. wezw. św. Józefa. It is the largest of the three necropolises and the resting place of many Łódź bourgeois and working-class families.

Evangelical section and the Scheibler Chapel

Adjoining it is the Cmentarz Ewangelicko-Augsburski, where members of well-known Łódź manufacturing families are buried, including the Grohmanns, Geyers, Kunitzers and Kindermanns. The most valuable structure in the entire complex is the Neo-Gothic Kaplica Rodziny Scheiblerów, standing in this section and erected in 1885–1888 according to a design by Edward Lilpop and Józef Pius Dziekoński. Nearby there is also a Neo-Renaissance chapel of the Heinzel family, erected in 1899–1904 according to a design by Berlin architect Franz Schwechten.

Orthodox section

The smallest, but also under conservation protection, is the Orthodox section, namely the Cmentarz Prawosławny. It adjoins directly with the other two sections, forming together with them a cohesive, though internally varied, complex of necropolises.

Protection and annual collection

The entire complex was entered into the historical monuments register on 16 September 1980, and in 2015 it was recognised as a historical monument. Since 1995, every year on 1 November, a collection is held for the rescue of historic gravestones and chapels, initiated by journalist Wojciech Słodkowski, who conducted it until 2012. Funds collected in subsequent years made it possible to restore several dozen gravestones and chapels within the cemetery.

Practical information

• Address: vicinity of Ogrodowa and Srebrzyńska streets, Stare Polesie, Łódź
• Getting there: the area lies close to the city centre and is well served by trams and buses running along Ogrodowa Street
• What to expect: an expansive, quiet area of greenery with historic gravestones and chapels of three faiths, requiring calm and respectful behaviour