Łódź
Łódź (Polish: [wutɕ] ( listen)) is the third-largest city in Poland. 776,000 people live there. It is in the Łódź Voivodeship in the centre of the country. In Polish the name also means "boat". The mayor of Łódź is Hanna Zdanowska.
City | |
Coordinates: 51°36′N 19°25′E / 51.600°N 19.417°ECoordinates: 51°36′N 19°25′E / 51.600°N 19.417°E | |
Country | Poland |
Voivodeship | Łódź |
Population | |
• Total | 776,000 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
History
The first documents mentioning the city date from 1332. Łódź was awarded city rights (according to the Magdeburg law) in 1432. The Congress of Vienna decided in 1815 that the city should be part of Russia. Only in 1918 did the city fall back to Poland.
Geography
The city is about 120 km south-west of Warsaw. In and around the city, there are some textile and electronics industries. Because of prolonged economic difficulties, there has been a decline in the population of the city. The city has a university and a film academy. Łódź has a humid continental climate (Dfb in the Koeppen climate classification).
Sports
There are two major football teams in Łódź: the first is called ŁKS Łódź and the second is Widzew Łódź.
Images
Notable residents
- Grażyna Bacewicz, composer
- Max Factor, Sr., businessman, founder of the Max Factor cosmetics company
- Piotr Fronczewski, Polish actor
- Marcin Gortat, NBA basketball player for the Phoenix Suns
- Roman Polanski, cinema director, Oscar and Golden Palm winner
- Władysław Reymont, writer, Nobel Prize winner
- Paweł Rogaliński, journalist
- Artur Rubinstein, pianist, settled
- Julian Tuwim, poet
- Miś Uszatek, cartoon character
- Marek Saganowski, football player
- Adam Ostrowski, better known as O.S.T.R., rapper
Łódź Media
One of the first city plans, illustrating the housing allotments and new development around Piotrkowska Street, 1823
Izrael Poznański's industrial complex (Manufaktura) pictured in 1895.
The Archcathedral of St. Stanislaus Kostka, completed in 1912, is one of Poland's tallest churches.
Plac Wolności (Liberty Square) with the Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument and Holy Spirit Church in 1930