Lodz, Poland, Piotrkowska Street No. 248/250. Markus Silberstein’s factory - mechanical weaver’s shop. Markus Silberstein was a typical Lodzermensch who got rich on the boom of textile industry in Lodz in 19th century. Young Jew from Pabianice (satellite town of Lodz) married to Hudesa Cohn of the very rich family from Lodz. Together they started to establish their business, starting with the trading house at Nowomiejska Street (formerly a short part of Piotrkowska Street). In 1878 they built the factory - weaver’s shop at Piotrkowska 248/250. The factory building was to look like a fortress. The towers are decorated with initials of the factory owner. Markus Silberstein was a member of a consortium of a factory owners of Lodz, that was in charge of building the tramway network in Lodz, Pabianice, Zgierz and Aleksandrow (Lodz and its satellite towns). He died in 1899 and was buried in his family vault at the Jewish New Cemetery in Lodz (the biggest Jewish cemetery in Europe).
First of all - A pleasure to read. It’s like having a tour through the city. Second - Even bigger joy is watch your graphical frames. The colors, the composition… They almost look surreal. Your blog is a real treat :)
Thanks Ilan. It is also very exciting for me. I am exploring my city and its history, especially its multi-cultural pattern which is lost forever unfortunately. The city of Lodz owes its modern shape to the German, Jewish and Polish (who had usually German or Jewish roots as well) factory owners. All 3 nations were very numerous, the minority in Lodz were Russians (however it was strong minority). Due to the 50 years of communism and terrible economical situation of the city in nineteen nineties the city looks much as it was before or during the WW2. Despite its very interesting history, there was not so many publications about it in the communist era (for communists the most important was the proletariat of workers - mostly Poles instead of the elites of Lodz, especially Germans, and after 1968 the Jews were also forgotten and Jewish - Jidish - culture vanished completely). Nowadays we have very interesting books about old Lodz and its main 3 nations.
Moreover… I live in the heart of Baluty - the poorest part of Lodz since the town became the city. It was Litzmannstadt Ghetto, and all buildings are preserved in the same conditions as they were during the WW2. I have just finished reading of the diaries of Estera Frenkiel (Etka Daum) - the secretary of Chaim Rumkowski - the chief of the council of the elders of the Ghetto. It was strange to read about the locations (even the exact street numbers, buildings) that I am passing every day. In example - the old cinema Bajka at Krawiecka Street. Now it is a supermarket, but when I was young I was very often going to that cinema (first time watching Star Wars :)). It was a concert hall and the place of the public meetings in the Ghetto. It is very exciting and sad as well to explore the history of my own place.
I really miss the multicultural Lodz, though I have never experienced it in my life. It is lost not only becasue of WW2, holocaust, expelling the ethnic Germans of Lodz (as a aftermath of WW2), and expelling Jews in 1968 from Poland. It is in the same part our Polish fault. Majority (but not all) of us are rather closed minded people, who blame all around but not themselves.
It’s existing to read your text. My grandparents fled the ghettos during the war (Belarus/Minsk), and I was raised on their stories. Today, we live in Israel, were the memory of those days is kept sacred.
It’s touching to read your text.
you mention that there are now good books on the 3 nations in Lodz. I am researching Jewish industrialists of Lodz. Could you send me the names of the books? thanks