MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF LODZ A PALACE OF THE PROMISED LAND Beata Kamińska

ISRAEL KALMANOWICZ POZNANSKI'S PALACE The most attractive industrialists residence in Łódź, named the Lodz Louvre. The effort of many architects, designers and artists resulted in the present shape of the building, which is much more decorative and comfortable than others in Lodz. The first owner of this Palace was Israel Kalmanowicz Poznanski – the richest Jew in Lodz in the 19th century. The palace is functionally connected with a huge cotton production plant (now Manufaktura – a big shopping mall), a housing estate for workers and other accompanying buildings. Now the palace houses the Museum of the City Lodz.

INTERIOR The Palace is filled with fine, stately interiors. In the decor you can find secession elements together with historic forms and also contemporary motifs. Many interesting art and historical exhibitions take place here.

INTERIOR- a big hall and staircase A big hall and a staircase lead to the first floor, which is enclosed by a gallery heading to main rooms...

INTERIOR- a dining room The dining room is the biggest and most beautiful room in the palace. Here, the owner used to celebrate family occasions, and it definitely was designed to make an impression on the guests. The room is very long and high, which makes it appear monumental. On the ceiling there are very beautiful stucco works. Allegorical compositions show the fortune and power of the owner. In the friezes you can see ancient human shapes, the motifs of ancient art, an oak wainscot with the inbuilt sideboard and a gas fireplace, allegorical carvings, garlands of fruit and very interesting and symbolical paintings of Samuel Hirszenberg. In the dining room you see authentic furniture with monograms "P" which belonged to Poznanskis family.

INTERIOR- art salons The dining room is connected with reception rooms in which you can see furniture, dishes, and musical instruments, all of which have come from houses of the rich bourgeoisie from the19th century. In these rooms you can admire old jewellery and paintings of Lodz artists from the 19th century, for example Maurycy Trębacz, Leon Hirszenberg or Leopold Pilichowski. When Poznanski's family lived in the palace, there was a small gallery situated in the salons, where guests had meetings and could have coffee or tea after dinner.

INTERIOR- a ballroom Near the reception rooms there is the ballroom in the Empire style, very often named a mirror-room. The walls are decorated with lamps, mirrors and baroque ornaments. A square shape chamber is enlighted balconies, oval and big windows. It is a place of a lot of music concerts, conferences and scientific meetings.

INTERIOR- a room of Poznanski In the palace you can visit a room of Poznanski. In this exhibition you can see an authentic desk of Poznanski, his armchair with the monogram, a stand - clock and his portrait, painted by Stanisław Heyman in On the desk there are office accessories for example a telephone receiver, books, an inkstand, a knife for newspapers and newspapers which come from the 19 th century. On the wall there are old photos of the palace and factory and members of Poznanski's family. In this room you can see the family tree of Poznanski.

INTERIOR- a bedroom In the living part of the palace visitors can see the bedroom equipped with genuine furniture and sleeping accessories, which come from the 19th century, for example: a chiffonier, a night-dress, bed-clothes and...a chamber-pot. This room is connected with the wardrobe (a dressing table), where the inhabitants got changed and had a bath. Here you can admire a very beautiful toilet-table and mahogany panelling with secessionist ornamentation. These two rooms are joined by a very interesting wardrobe which has two entrances... It could be for lovers!

INTERIOR- palace rooms In the next room there is typical furniture, which comes from rich bourgeoisie houses: sofas, tables, furniture in Ludwik XV style, chairs and paintings. During the conservation works a genuine polychrome on the walls was discovered.

INTERIOR- a man room Near the dining room there is a small room named "a man room" or "an acard room"- called once-"a card"-from ornaments crowning the caps of columns, making once game room destined for guests and trade contracting parties. It was a place of meetings for men. Here they drank coffee or alcohol, talked about business or played billiards or cards.

EXHIBITIONS Now in the man room is presented the exhibition devoted to Władysław Stanisław Reymont, the Polish writer. This exhibition opens the series of permanent exhibitions dedicated to famous people who were connected by their activity or place of birth with Lodz. It's a Pantheon of Famous Citizens of the City of Lodz.

EXHIBITIONS In the museum (in the old living part of the palace) you can visit very interesting exhibitions dedicated to Julian Tuwim, the writer and poet.

EXHIBITIONS Jerzy Kosiński, a writer

EXHIBITIONS Aleksander Tansman, a musical composer

EXHIBITIONS Jan Karski, a soldier, diplomat, scholar and famous politician who was born in Lodz

EXHIBITIONS Marek Edelman and Alina Margolis – Edelman, doctors, social workers and activists

EXHIBITIONS The most interesting exhibition is the Music Gallery devoted to Arthur Rubinstein, the famous pianist. There are a lot of photographs, his personal things, awards and documents.

EXHIBITIONS The Palace Gallery is used to present of temporary exhibitions of modern or historical paintings, graphics and photographs. For example, in 1999 the exhibition of a collection of Wojciech Fibak took place, while later graphics of Salvador Dali, Ernst and Miro were presented.

EXHIBITIONS The Gallery of Polish Paintings- the biggest art exhibition in Lodz, only in our museum can you admire paintings, graphics and sculptures created by famous polish artists (for example Jacek Malczewski, Ksawery Dunikowski and Gustaw Gwozdecki)

REST IN THE PALACE After seeing the museum you can rest in the Palace Garden or in the Retro Cafe drinking a delicious coffee or eating a mouth- watering cake

YOU ARE WELCOME!