Central Museum of Textiles

Central Museum of Textiles boasts one of the largest collections of modern artistic fabrics in the world. Since 1972 it has been regularly organising a prestigious exhibition event, International Triennial of Tapestry, the biggest and oldest event of this kind in the world. Multimedia museum offers the visitors an opportunity to virtually experience selected exhibits, learn the history of textile industry, the White Factory (the popular name of the factory housing museum) and Geyer family (former owners of the factory). You can appreciate various types of fabrics and weaves as well as outfits used in the 19th and 20th century. A steam engine, jacquards and mule given life thanks to modern technology are also on display. While walking along the elements related to textile industry, visitors can move back in time to the industrial Lodz.

In the back part of the museum, there is an Łódź City Culture Park with the typical 19th century construction with weavers’ houses, wooden church moved from Nowosolna settlement, and a suburban summer villa.

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 the 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, his production plants were nationalized and continued operating until 1990’s under the name of Cotton Industry Plant “Eskimo”.

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.