Łódzka Organizacja Turystyczna

Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This neo-Gothic temple was built in 1887 according to the project of Konstanty Wojciechowski. It was constructed on the site of the oldest wooden parish church in Lodz, which had stood there since the beginning of the 15th century and was moved to 22 Ogrodowa St. The historical painting of the Mother of God of Lodz, which can be seen in the side chapel of the new temple, originates from its interior.

The church is made of red brick, has three naves, a transept and two towers in the facade. Its construction was financed by the contributions of the citizens of Lodz and the generosity of the most influential manufacturers from Lodz, including Scheibler, Kunitzer and Poznanski families. The latter financed a terracotta floor from Villeroy & Boch Mottlach. The church was consecrated on 5 June 1897 by the Bishop of Warsaw, Kazimierz Ruszkiewicz. The choir is supported by two pillars and there is a 37-voice Gothic organ imported from Vienna in 1892. The oldest gravestone in the churchyard is that of Maciej Wyszyński from 1822, the only evidence of the existence of an old town cemetery on the site. During the Second World War, the church's distinctive shape appeared in many photographs of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, becoming an eloquent symbol of the isolated part of the city and the silent witness to the tragedy unfolding there.