Festival Lodz of Four Cultures refers to the multicultural roots of the city which had been a melting pot of cultures and nationalities for many years, a multinational industrial environment in the very heart of Poland. The idea of the festival is to build a bridge between history and present times and indicate paths towards a harmonious coexistence of various nations despite historical burdens. The tool used to achieve this task is art which speaks a common language and establishes ties without bias, creating a perspectives for generations to come.
The most Lodz-rooted of all - Festival Lodz of Four Cultures is the continuation of the Festival of Dialogue of Four Cultures, initiated in 2002 by Witold Knychalski, and it refers to the four cultures which had an impact on the development of Lodz. Over 15 years, the festival has been managed by various people and it has been organized by many foundations and institutions. There have been many ideas for its development. Despite that, one thing is certain: there is no other festival in Lodz which would be equally recognizable and at the same time so Lodz-oriented and rooted in the history of the city. Thanks to this, entire Poland knows that Lodz used to be a multicultural city in which Polish, Jewish, German and Russian nations lived together. And although back then, in the 19th century, as well as today, there are more nations or ethnic groups among the inhabitants of the city, four historical cultures left a mark that cannot be overlooked. Marek Edelman Center for Dialogue is the organizer of the festival.
The festival takes place in mid-September each year.
