The first owner of the White Factory, Ludwik Ferdynand Geyer, is considered a pioneer of the development of Lodz textile industry. The industrialist from Saxony came to the city in the first half of the 19th century and settled down in the southern part of Piotrkowska Street, at the factory settlement Łódka (from Polish: boat). He quickly built a dynamically growing enterprise. Thanks to his work, the first factory chimney was erected in Lodz, and his looms were powered by a steam engine. The factory owner, and later on his sons, in spite of frequently changing economic situation, were constantly expanding and modernizing their plant. They also never forgot about contributing to the city growth, which showed in their active participation in the construction of public buildings. After World War II, the majority of production plants were nationalized and continued operating until 1990’s under the name Cotton Industry Plant “Eskimo”. However in the oldest section of the factory - so called Wihte Factory (becasue of plaster covering the walls of the building) a museum of texitles started to be organized already in 1950s.
Thanks to the Geyer family, the southern section of Piotrkowska Street gained a monumental classicist building of the White Factory, located on the opposite side of the Red Factory together with the office building, a number of mansions and factory owners’ palaces, as well as a palace garden with interesting plant species.
Currently the White Factory houses the Central Museum of Textiles, whereas the former garden functions as the Wł. St. Reymont city park and the Łódź City Culture Park. On spot of the former Eskimo Plant the is newly arranged space called Ogrody Geyera (the Gardens of Geyer) with restaurants, entertainment and sport facilities arranged in the post-industrial space.
![[Translate to Angielski:] dziedzictwo poprzemysłowej łodzi](/files/public/_processed_/a/e/csm_dziedzictwo_poprzemyslowej_lodzi_cdeb0a0800.jpg "[Translate to Angielski:]")
