Piotrokowska Street

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The tour along Piotrokowska Street will follow the development of the street and the Jewish settlement on it.
Here were centered renowned Jewish personas that significantly influenced the life of the city in the following aspects, such as: economy, culture, society and politics.
Join us for a tour in the footsteps of the street inhabitants, past and present ones.


DIRECTIONS

If arriving by a private car, park it around the house of Arthur Rubinstein, (no. 78). From there we'll head north to Wolności square.

When arriving by train from Warsaw (an hour and 40 minutes), or Krakow to Terminal 'West', a taxi will get you to the city center within a few minutes (approx. 20 Zloty), or by bus, which will get you to Wolności square.
The tour can be done by either walking, or by a rickshaw (2.5 Zloty - day fare; 4 Zloty - night fare).


We start the tour at the northern end of the street, near the statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko on Wolności square (Liberty square) indicating the independence of the Polish nation. In the past, this square was the market center of the new city, and here stood the old town hall since 1827. We'll continue along the street, heading south.
Piotrkowska Street became the main historical, commercial and social street of Lodz, sprawling from north to south along approximately 4 Km.
Special atmosphere is characterizing the buildings established here at the second half of the 19th century and in early 20th century. Today, the scenery of the street is a mixture of neo renaissance and art nouveau buildings, hosting restaurants, pubs and hot dogs stands.
The street was named Piotrokowska in 1825 by its mayor Czarkowski, who decided to mark the streets for postal services. In those days the end of the street led to the road to Piotrokow town, hence it was named Piotrokowska, (to Piotrokow).
The origin of the name was Pewter, who the Russian tsar from the ruling Romanoff Dynasty, at the time of the Russian government in the area lasted one hundred years, post the Napoleon war.
The street developed in the new city - the Neischtadt, an area which was forbidden for Jews, for neither living nor trading. The Jews were centered in the old city - Altsztadt, or in the Jewish ghetto, and were allowed to live only within those areas.
In 1825, two Jewish families were permitted by the Russian governor in Poland – the 'Enlightened Master' according to the 'Jewish Ghetto Law' in Lodz, to live outside the ghetto, once fulfilling the following conditions: proving that they have 20,000 Zlotys in cash, and having no debts; the head of the family should be a banker or an honest merchant, fluent in Polish and French, or at least in German; his children, older than 7, should study in public schools with children of other nations; did not use 'external symbols' differentiating members of the 'Old Testament' from other inhabitants.
In addition to those families, every Jew could live with his family on any of Lodz streets, if fulfilled in addition to the above mentioned conditions, the following ones:
1. Established a factory for the country's benefit and would employ workers of his religion.
2. Purchased a plot of land on which built his house.
3. Educated or had a free occupation such as a doctor or a painter.
4. Wholesaler who did not trade with liquors.
In spite of the alleviations, the Jewish settlement in the new city was accompanied by many crises. Each settlement permit was followed by an exile or exile attempts from Christian inhabitants, claiming that the Jews were competing with them and robbing their livelihood.
When the municipality was requested by the strangling Jews in the crowded ghetto to expand the area and build outside it, they were turned down, claiming that they were trying to invade the industrial center on the main street Piotrkowska, taking over the Christians and filled the city with despised commerce instead of the existing work and industry there.
But slowly, slowly with the emancipation, the Jewish settlement expanded and reached Piotrkowska Street that turned into a mixed street with a large Jewish presence.
During the German occupation in the Second World War when Lodz became Litzmannstadt, and turned into an attached city to Germany, Piotrokowska Street was named Adolf Hitlerstrasse, after the dictator who exterminated the Jewish nation in Europe.
The street was outside the ghetto premises that were established in 1941, but upon its establishment, the Germans reached Piotrkowska Street and instructed the Jews to move out into the ghetto. Whoever was delayed was shot and the whole area was covered with the blood of the deceased.
When walking from Wolności southward, the impaired buildings will be on the right and the paired ones on the left.
Most of the past Lodz industrialists were the inhabitants of this magnificent street, establishing their residences in palaces with exquisitely designed façades, ornamented with relieves of: dolphins, dragons and demons. The street's large numbered buildings were the industrial ones and some of their owners lived on the first part of the street. When walking along the street, one should look up to all sides in order to grasp the design of the building roofs and their upper parts.

Links
Monuments and Statues in Lodz
Walking tour of Piotrkowska Street – in Polish


Piotrokowska Street from Wolności square to 32 No'

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5 Piotrkowska Street - residence of Awracham Moshe Prussak
A. M. Prussak, was a merchant and fabric wholesaler who later on became the owner of a textile factory.
The three stories building (residence and offices), was built in 1870 in neo renaissance style, which was then the popular style of architecture in the city. Its façade's prominent elements are quadrangular columns posted on foundations. At the side facing the yard were the spinning mills and the weaving factories. In 1881 "Bikur Cholim" charity society was founded by the industrialists Prussak, Poznanski, Dobranicki, Jeshayahu Rozenblat, Maximilian Zilberstein and more, and was chaired by Rabbi Meizels.




11 Piotrkowska Street (corner of Próchnik Street) - residence of the industry tycoon Karol Scheibler
It was built in 1897 as a gorgeous bourgeois apartment building. Some assume it was designed by a German architect and that Hilary Majewski, the city's architect, only approved its plan and authorized it. Hilary Majewski (1838-1892), studied in St. Petersburg Czarina's Academy of Arts. In 1872 he was appointed as the Lodz city's architect and was the senior and most known architect in the city who was responsible for 546 projects. Among them industrialist palaces, exquisite villas, apartment buildings, worker residences, public and factory buildings.
He created the unique atmosphere of the Moniuszki archery, the Orthodox Church on Kilinskiego Street, Herbst residence on Ksiezy Mlyn, Grohmann residence on Tylna Street, Hertz palace on Kosciuszki Avenue, Poznanski Palace and the high school on Sienkiewicza Street. The building has four floors with shops on the first one. The building's corner is designed with huge round shaped windows which are separated by columns covered with a dome from which sticks out a decorated flagpole. You enter the building through two gates which are opened to the yard.
Karol Scheibler was a German industrialist who, at 19 years old, established in Belgium a partnership of cotton industry. In 1853 he arrived in Lodz and founded, near Wodny square, a weaving factory named 'Dowoctwo' (Headquarters). He then built the Ksiezy Mlyn which included: factory, workers residence, hospital, fire department, school and his private residence.
Scheibler turned Lodz into the center of sewing products during 1850-1860.







On the corner of Rewolucji 1905 Street are standing two residential buildings designed in 1897 by David Landa. The details of the buildings show Romanesque and late gothic motives, as well as new renaissance ones, which is a European influence. The four stories building are full with prominent windows reaching the roof decorated with dolphins and dragons.
The architect David Landa was probably the grandson of the industrialist David Landa, the first Jew establishing a large factory in Lodz, and in 1833 founded a cotton business with his partner Ludwig Mamrut.
The architect David Landa was born in Lodz studied at the St. Petersburg Institute for Civil Engineering in Russia after which he moved to Berlin for his training period. Upon termination in Berlin, he returned to Lodz and opened an architects' bureau, formulating his personal foundation. In 1903 he designed the residence of the industry tycoon R. Beunich on 42 Gdańska Street, on 76 Wólczańska Street, on 21 Kościuszko Street, and the one on the corner of Piotrokowska and Południowa Streets. In addition to the above, Landa also designed the Central Bank on Kościuszko blvd. He died on 10.11.1928 in Karlovy Vary.
10.11.1928 .

13 Piotrkowska Street - Johann Pater residence
The construction style in Lodz changed with its development as well as with the pretension of its inhabitants. We can see the planning transformation from one story buildings to four stories ones. Johann Pater residence planned in 1860, has a classical designed, probably by Karol Mertsching, where the façade's columns are reinforced by a triangle roof built of floral decorated tiles.

18 Piotrkowska Street
Photo by Michal LThis building had numerous functions. Part of it was the residence of 'HaZamir' (the nightingale) literal-musical society. It started in 1899 as 'Maccabi' which later became 'Maccabi-HaZamir'. This circle included a choir of young men and women who was active in private homes holding concerts since 1901. Awracham Nissan Shapira was the enthusiastic founder of the circle and later on was joined by Dr. Ludwig Falk. The choir first volunteering conductor was Mordechai Hertstein. In 1902 'HaZamir' moved to its permanent residence on 18 Piotrkowska Street, together with the Jewish chess club. The choir permanent conductor at that time was Nachum Podkaminer. 'HaZamir' choir performed in Lodz as well as in peripheral towns, and as of 1906 it became an approved association by the authorities with a permanent sponsor – Chaikel Janowski. Janowski, a wealthy, intelligent and music fan turned a factory building into a concert hall including a music library and handed out prizes and scholarships for the study music. He also translated and adapted various oratorios to Hebrew. In 1913 he conducted Handel's 'Yehuda Maccabi' which became very famous in those days. 'HaZamir' also performed works of Bialik, Peretz, Berfeld, Kantor, Shalom Aleichem and 'Baal Machshavot' (thinker). 'HaZamir', led by Janowski, turned into the guide to the rest of 'HaZamir' associations in Poland and became the center of cultural and Zionist activities on Poland. In 1931 Janowski became poor, left town and moved to his son who was a professor at one of the universities in Japan, where he passed away.
In the beginning of the First World War, with the renewed Suchaczefv Yeshiva in Lodz, the 'Beit Awracham' synagogue, named after the Gaon of Suchaczefv, was inaugurated.

27 Piotrkowska Street
This building housed the famous 'Astoria' café which was Lodz popular place among artists prior to the Second World War. Here they held exhibitions, performed and most of them were arrested by the Gestapo after the Germans entered Lodz.





29 Piotrkowska / Więckowskiego Streets – residence of the banker Wilhelm Landau

The building which was designed by the architect Gustaw Landau-Gutenteger, was buit in ???, and symbolizes his works.
Gustaw Landau-Gutenteger (1870-1917), a creative and affluent architect in Lodz, studied in St. Petersburg Institute for Civil Engineering in Russia, returned to Lodz, opened his planning & design studio where he started working. Among his famous works in Lodz: Wilhelm Landau's residence from 1903; the school of the merchants association on 68 Narotowicz Street; rehabilitation of the synagogue on Zachodnia Street; the dancing hall on 5 Walczanska Street; the palace of the dissenter Ludwig Kinderman on 31/35 Wulzsanska Street; I. Kinderman residence on 139 Piotrolowska Street; A. Kinderman residence on 151 Piotrolowska Street; as well as Wilhelm Landau bank on Sanatorska Street in Warsaw.
In addition, Gutenteger built the residential blocks on 32, 37, 99,109, and 128 Piotrkowska Street, and those on: 30 Narotowicz Street, 4 Sunkiewecza Street, and 92 Nowotki Street. Gutenteger established a partnership with David Landa for the reconstruction of the 'Grand Hotel'.



31 Piotrkowska Street – residence of Gil family
The Gil family resided here until the Germans entered Lodz in 1939.



Links
Monuments & Sculpture in Lodz