February 17, 2026
Often referred to as “the Polish Manchester”, Łódź earned this nickname due to its key role as one of Europe’s major textile and industrial centers in the 19th century. Today, the city’s identity is inseparably linked to its textile past. However, the rise of Łódź as an industrial powerhouse was not accidental. The area was deliberately chosen because it fulfilled the essential conditions required for textile production and because it benefited from a highly favorable historical and political context.
Let’s dive a bit into the history of Łódź
Łódź is located in central Poland, and for centuries it remained a small, insignificant settlement with a largely agricultural character. Until the early 19th century, it played no major economic or political role. This situation changed dramatically in the first quarter of the 19th century, when the authorities of the Kingdom of Poland initiated a large-scale industrialization program that transformed the town into a rapidly growing industrial center.
The Urban Layout Before Industrialization
In the second decade of the 19th century, the developed urban area of Łódź—later known as the Old Town—covered only about 20 hectares. Its layout still reflected medieval urban planning. The town consisted of a network of narrow streets extending at slight angles from the Market Square, forming small, irregular blocks of buildings. The Market Square constituted the central point of the town and was separated by an intermediate block from another square dominated by the church. Urban development was limited to these two squares and the initial sections of eight streets, some of which led toward neighboring towns and derived their names from these routes. Dense construction was concentrated mainly around the Market Square and along key streets such as Drewnowska, Podrzeczna, Nadstawna, and Kościelna, which later became known as Piotrkowska Street.
Why Łódź? It was a planned industrial choice
The emergence of Łódź as a textile center was the result of deliberate political and economic planning. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the authorities of the Kingdom of Poland decided to revive the declining town through industrialization. A decree issued by the Russian Tsar in 1816 encouraged the settlement of skilled foreign workers, particularly German immigrants, by offering land grants, tax exemptions, free construction materials, long-term leases, exemption from military service, and duty-free transport of livestock. Supported by reformers such as Stanisław Staszic, Łódź was intentionally directed toward textile production, as the region lacked the natural resources required for mining or metallurgy but was well suited to light industry. Textile manufacturing, unlike heavy industry, did not depend on local deposits of coal or metal, making it an ideal choice for the region. This strategy was further strengthened by the abolition of the customs border between Congress Poland and the Russian Empire, which opened access to the vast Russian market and created exceptionally favorable conditions for industrial growth.
At the same time, Łódź fulfilled all the practical requirements of textile manufacturing. Numerous small rivers and streams, including the Łódka and Jasień, provided water essential for washing fibers, dyeing fabrics, and powering early machinery, while surrounding forests supplied timber and fuel. Large areas of undeveloped land made it possible to build factories and workers’ housing on a large scale, and a growing labor force was provided by migrants from nearby rural areas. Although raw materials such as cotton and wool were not locally available, they could be easily imported thanks to state support and expanding trade networks. Importantly, the land south of the Old Town belonged to the state, which allowed for planned development without the constraints of medieval infrastructure. In 1820, Rajmund Rembieliński designed the New Town as a separate industrial district along the Piotrków route, integrating it with the Old Town through Piotrkowska Street. This route later became a key axis of transport and trade, further supporting industrial expansion. Built almost from scratch to meet industrial needs, Łódź rapidly developed into a major textile hub within just a few decades.
Conclusion
The choice of Łódź as a center of the textile industry was the result of a unique combination of factors. Favorable geographic conditions, availability of land and labor, strong political support, and access to vast markets all contributed to its rapid industrialization. Rather than evolving gradually from its medieval past, Łódź was deliberately planned as an industrial city. These factors explain how a small town in central Poland transformed within a few decades into one of Europe’s most important textile centers, earning its lasting nickname—the “Polish Manchester.”
Read all the articles connected to the project ” Odkryj Łódź” : https://levelupngo.com/project/odkryj-lodz/
Author: Julie Besson