In the 19th Century, workers from all over Poland, Germany, England, Portugal and France flocked to this prominent centre of the textile industry at that time. Four nationalities, however, were the mainstays of the city’s economic development: Poles, Germans, Jews and Russians. The textiles were sold on the huge Russian market, and in a span of 50 years between 1823 and 1873, the population of Lodz doubled every decade, making it one of Europe’s most densely populated industrial cities by the time World War I broke out. World War II was probably the darkest period in the city’s history. Lodz was annexed by Nazi Germany. About 300,000 Jews perished in the ghetto and in the nearby death camps. Many of the factories with all their equipment were relocated to Germany, and by the end of the war depopulated Lodz had lost most of its infrastructure. The reconstruction lasted for decades, as the Communist regime had also taken its toll. 

Today, Lodz continues to be a predominantly industrial town. Many foreign investors have established their local production here, attracted by the central location, excellent infrastructure and qualified work force. For instance, Bosch-Siemens, Gillette and ABB have their factories here. It flourishes as a commercial centre as well, hosting major fairs and trade events in its modern exhibition hall. Moreover, the three major institutions of higher education, Lodz University, the Medical University of Lodz, and the Technical University, are a constant source of a young and well-qualified work force for the many industrial enterprises in the city.

Lodz is best known, however, for its involvement with the cinema. Its Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre was attended, among others, by Andrzej Wajda, Wanda Jakubowska, Roman Polanski and Krzysztof Kieślowski. Each November, Lodz hosts a film festival called Camerimage. As a cultural centre, the city offers an opera house, a concert hall and several theatres fulfilling the needs of the dwellers and visitors. Of the museums, the Museum of Modern Art is of interest. It is one of the richest in Poland, and displays works by contemporary Polish artists.

Everything in Lodz revolves around Piotrkowska Street, which is over four kilometres long, stretches from north to south, and all of the city’s important institutions, banks, hotels, restaurants, shops, pubs, art galleries and more are to be found there. Quite simply, every business in Lodz strives to be in Piotrkowska. There are also splendid residences of wealthy 19th-century profiteers from the city’s industrial boom, when the fortune of the newly rich was reflected in mansions with grandiose architecture and lavish interiors. Scheibler’s House, Kohn’s House, Jindermann’s House, August Hartig’s House and Schicht’s House are just a few well-preserved examples.