Lodz Things to Do

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Plac Wolnosci or Freedom Square stands at one end of ulica Piotrkowska. Though it is called a square it is actually in the shape of an octagon. In the middle is a large roundabout with a statue of the freedom fighter Tadeusz Kosciuszko. To one side of the roundabout is an interesting underground museum of the Lodz sewer system. I noticed that at number 14 is the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, which is the largest museum in Lodz.

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At the top of Park Staromiejski stands a statue called the Ten Commandments. It stands in a purpose built walled area looking down on Lodz. It was presented to the City of Lodz in 1995 to commemorate the Jews of Poland and is by the artist Gustaw Zemla.

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The Old Market Square is the oldest square in Lodz and dates back to medieval times. I have seen some old photographs from 100 years ago when this was the centre of the Jewish District with market stalls around the square. Demolition started of the area during and after WW2 and the building facades received a Social-Realist look. Though it is still called the Old Market Square the whole area dates from after WW2.

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Alexander Nevsky 1220 – 1263 was a Russian who defended the country against a number of surrounding countries and saved the country against invasion. He was later canonised by the Eastern Orthodox Church. There are a number of Catherdals in different countries around the world that are named after Alexander Nevsky. In Poland there are Catherdals in Warsaw and Lodz. The Alexander Nevsky Catherdal in Lodz was completed in 1884 when Poland was an annexed part of the Russian Empire.

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This area is called Manhattan for the obvious reason. It has a number of high rise buildings two of which are 78 metres in height. Built during the communist era in the 1980s they are different design to the normal grey blocks of flats that you normally see in Poland.

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The Museum of the Traditions of Independence in Lodz is housed in the former prison on Dluga and Gdanska Streets. The prison was opened in 1885 and closed in 1953. During most of its time as a prison it housed political prisoners. During WW2 it housed women political prisoners who usually ended up in concentration camps. Part of the museum’s exhibition is the cells where some are dressed to show the conditions for the inmates and various manacles to restrain prisoners. There are other displays of uniforms and weapons. The staff where very pleasant and a lady came to show me around. There are only a few explanations in English of the various displays. The musuem is open daily except Fridays.

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Charles Anstadta was a German who built a brewery in Lodz. The family bought land around the brewery and the park was originally owned by his 3 sons. The park was named after Charles Jnr’s wife who was called Helen Louise Helenów. The park which is 12 hectares in area was opened to the public in 1885 but there was an entrance fee to enter. The park became the property of the city after World War 2 and became run down. In the 1990s the park was cleaned up and renovated. In 2003 the Monument to the Polish Army was unveiled in the park. The park has an unusual shape to fit into the surrounding streets.

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This park’s origin is from the beginning of the 20th century and it was located in an ancient forest, originally it was further north. During World War 1 because of a shortage of food the park was dug up and vegetables grown. In 1938 a statue of Stanislaw Moniuszko was put up on one of the main paths but it was destroyed by the Nazis during World War 2 and the park was closed to Poles and Jews. Further damage was caused to the park with trees being cut down and the pond destroyed. Close to the centre of the park there are 2 cemeteries which contains the graves of Polish and Soviet officers and a mass grave of other ranks who lost their lives during fighting for the city in January 1945. As I have discovered with similar cemetries that are located in other parks that some owner of dogs are comfortable with leaving their pets running loose amongst the graves. The park has shrunk over the years and now stands at 41 hectares. Besides the nature beauty of the park with its gardens and pond the most recent addition is a BMX track.