Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. L. Schillera in Łódź

The Film School in Łódź is an active institution, not a museum. It is housed in a former palace of Oskar Kon at ulica Targowa 61/63. The building can be viewed from the outside, and entry to the interior is possible during open events only, as the interiors are not available for regular tours.

The palace on Targowa

The building was erected in 1903 as a villa for building contractor Jan Steck, designed by Franciszek Chełmiński. In 1918 it was purchased by Oskar Kon, owner of the Widzewa Manufactory [textile mill], who had it rebuilt. The structure today has a classical character, without elaborate facade decoration, featuring a portico and stairs above the main entrance. Since 1948 it has served the film school.

The school and its graduates

The Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna imienia Leona Schillera was founded in 1948 and offers education in the departments of film and television directing, cinematography, acting, and film arts organisation. Among those who studied here were Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jerzy Skolimowski, Zbigniew Rybczyński, Hoyte van Hoytema and Łukasz Żal. This list of names explains why the address on Targowa comes up in every conversation about Polish cinema.

The famous stairs

The symbol of the school is the staircase leading to the cinema hall, with plaques commemorating creators associated with the institution, including Roman Polański and Wojciech Jerzy Has. The stairs are located inside the building, so they can be seen when the school opens its doors to the public, for example during screenings and festivals.

What you can realistically see

The school organises events open to outside visitors: the Theatre Schools Festival, held since 1983, and the student film festival "Łodzią po Wiśle" [Through Łódź on the Vistula], organised since 2003. The school publishes schedules and programmes, so you should check them at source before visiting.

The city's film theme continues further. Nearby operates the Muzeum Kinematografii, Poland's only cinema museum, and Łódź has belonged to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the film category since 2017.

The address on Targowa itself is in the vicinity of Księżego Młyna, the former factory and residential complex of Karol Scheibler, recognised as a historical monument in 2015. A walk from one place to the other takes about fifteen minutes.

The names of graduates can easily be found on the Aleia Gwiazd on Piotrkowska, where over ninety stars of Polish cinema have been embedded.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Targowa 61/63, Łódź, Widzew district [dzielnica], in the vicinity of Księżego Młyna.
• Getting there: by tram or bus heading towards Targowa and Tymienieckiego, about fifteen minutes from the city centre.
• What to expect: an active school in a historic palace; the exterior can be viewed from outside, interiors are accessible only during open events.
• Visiting: there are no regular tours or ticketed visits; the school publishes festival and screening schedules.
• Good connections with Muzeum Kinematografii and Księżego Młyna as part of a single walk.