Roman Catholic Cemetery of Saint Francis in Chojny

The parish cemetery of Saint Francis at ulica Rzgowska 156/158 in Chojny is one of the oldest cemeteries in this part of Łódź. It is active, maintained by the Bishop's Curia of the Archdiocese of Łódź, and its history dates back to the late 19th century.

Establishment of the cemetery

The cemetery was established in the eighteen-eighties of the 19th century. It covers an area of 4.75 hectares, and the oldest preserved tombstones date from 1897. In 1928, a cemetery chapel was erected on its grounds.

Chojny during occupation

From 1 June 1942 to 19 January 1945, the cemetery on Rzgowska was one of two places in Łódź where only Poles were permitted to be buried, alongside the nearby cemetery of Saint Wojciech on ulica Kurczaki. The reason was German plans according to which post-war Chojny was to be settled exclusively by Polish population.

Those buried in the cemetery

The cemetery is the resting place of several known residents of Łódź, associated with science and culture.

• Lucyna Fagasiewicz (1920-2003), botanist.
• Anna Góralska (1946-2006), historian of Polish literature.
• Franciszek Heliński (1901-1965), cooperative activist.
• Wiesław Jażdżyński (1920-1998), writer.
• Antoni Kierpal (1898-1960), painter.
• Stanisław Liszewski (1940-2016), geographer.
• Hieronim Przybył (1929-2002), film director.
• Antoni Sobczyński (1888-1959), priest, lecturer, member of the Sejm.
• Czesław Świrta (1925-2008), film cameraman.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Rzgowska 156/158, Chojny district, Łódź.
• Access: the area of ulica Rzgowska, the main artery connecting Chojny with the centre of Łódź.
• What to expect: a historic, active parish cemetery with a chapel from 1928, close to the cemetery on ulica Kurczaki.