Park Ocalałych

Park Ocalałych lies in the north-eastern part of Łódź, in the valley of the Łódka river, and commemorates people who survived the Litzmannstadt ghetto that operated in this location during the Second World War. The park opened on 30 August 2004, on the 60th anniversary of the liquidation of the ghetto. The area is managed by Zieleń Miejska Północ [City Greenery North], and the exhibition and education building next to it is run by the Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre.

Establishment and initiators

The idea of commemorating survivors of the ghetto came from Halina Elczewska, a prisoner of Auschwitz and Ravensbrück camps, and the project was supported by Marek Edelman. The park was designed by landscape architect Grażyna Ojrzyńska and architect Monika Michnowska. The area is ultimately to cover 8.5 hectares; currently, approximately 1.5 hectares have been developed.

Trees of memory

A distinctive feature of the park are trees planted in honour of survivors and their families. According to the site manager's data, there are currently around 600 of them, including 318 planted directly by ghetto survivors after the war. Some sources give different numbers, resulting from different stages of planting and methods of counting.

Monuments and places of remembrance

The central point of the park is the Memorial Mound, a several-metre-high earthen hill visible from a distance. The park also features the Monument to Poles Who Rescued Jews and a monument to Jan Karski, a courier who was among the first to inform the world of the extermination of Jews. Two memorial sessile oak trees grow here, and a commemorative plaque in four languages has been placed along the main avenue.

Dialogue Centre

The Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre operates next to the park, running permanent and temporary exhibitions and educational programmes for schools and organised groups. The building is open Monday to Friday from 11:00–18:00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00–16:00, with last entry possible half an hour before closing. The park grounds themselves remain accessible to visitors regardless of the building's opening hours.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego 83, Łódź
• Access: trams 18 and 19
• Park admission is free
• The Dialogue Centre building has separate opening hours; it is worth checking them before your visit
• The Jewish cemetery is also worth seeing in the area
• Nearby stands also the basilica cathedral