Go back to routeIn the interwar period, the first quarter of multi-apartment blocks (Józef Mirecki, pseudonym Montwiłł) - modern flats with all amenities - was known by its inhabitants as the Paradise on Earth.
Between the wars, Lodz was the centre of the Polish textile industry, known as the Polish Manchester. Workers from all over Europe came to Lodz in search of work. The longest house in the quarter was called The Saw because of its shape. We will visit a resident of the quarter, Voicech Maria Tarczewski, who will share his memories of his childhood during the war and the post-war years, and tell us about his father, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz. Art historian Ana Ozaist-Przybyła will share her grandfather’s family history. We will hear excerpts from Ana’s grandfather’s diary.
Christian Young People Association (YMCA) palace (arch. Wiesław Lisowski) - the first indoor swimming pool. Artificial Silk Factory’s house in Tomaszow (arch. Ignacy (Izaak) Gutman) - luxurious modernism.
After the war, Łódź became the unofficial “temporary capital” of Poland. Meyer’s Passage - the city’s first private street in the 19th century, with a paid entrance, telephone line and sewage system. The YMCA Palace was equipped with an indoor swimming pool and air heating. You will learn that the world-renowned pianist Artur Rubinstein was born in Łódź. The family of Lithuanian musician, teacher and composer Vincas Bacevičius also lived in Łódź. A. Wajda, K. Zanussi and R. Polanski studied at one of the oldest and most prestigious film schools in Łódź. You will see excerpts from films made by graduates of the National Film School in Łódź. You’ll see the extracts of the films created by the graduates of the National Film School in Łódź. 
