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Since the reconstruction of Poland’s administrative districts on January 1, 1999, Lodzkie is composed of the following former administrative districts. The amount of the old district now included in Lodzkie is in parentheses.
Skierniewice (most)
Plock (half)
Konin (very small portion)
Sieradz (all)
Piotrkow Trybunalski (all)
Kalisz (very small portion)
The Lodzkie district is in what would historically be defined as Western Mazovia. It is a small area in the center, or shall we say "at the heart," of Poland. This area was also the Kingdom of Poland prior to the various partitions. Despite its small size, there are several interesting towns.
Kingdom of Poland (from Genealogy and Poland, a Guide)
Lowicz
The town of Lowicz was founded in the 12th Century. For six hundred years it was home to the archbishops of Gniezno, Poland’s religious leaders. Today the town is reknowned for being the center of folk arts and crafts for the surrounding region, including weaving and wood carving. Lowicz’s regional museum contains folk art as well as the history of the town and the archeology of the region. The Kolegiata, or Collegiate Church, is an interesting blend of the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. Nobel Prize winner Wladyslaw Reymont’s 1924 novel Chlopi (The Peasants) was set in this area.
Lowicz DioceseNieborów
Nieborów, southeast of Lowicz, is famous for a spectacular Baroque palace built in the 1690’s. It was designed for Cardinal Radziejowski, and by the late 18th Century it belonged to Prince Michal Radziwill and his wife, Helena. The Radziwill family’s many works of art are still in the palace today. Princess Helena also founded the Romantic park Arkadia nearby. After World War II, the Nieborów palace became a branch of the Warsaw National Museum.
Nieborów MuseumRawa Mazowiecka
Founded in the 13th Century, Rawa Mazowiecka was once the seat of the Mazovian Dukes. Unfortunately, the town was damaged extensively in both world wars. Ruins of one of the Mazovian Dukes’ castles still exist. The castle was built in the late 1300’s as is rumored to have been the inspiration to Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. The town also has a regional museum.
Raza Mazowiecka - Town page in EnglishLódz
Lódz is the second largest city in Poland and is primarily an industrial town. In the 1800’s, Poland’s government chose Lódz as the country’s new textile center in an attempt to industrialize the nation. By WW I, the town had a population of a half million as Poles came here to work in the textile industry. Today Lódz is still Poland’s textile capital. It is also Poland’s Hollywood with several film schools and studios, including the Film Academy of Poland. Lódz’s Jewish cemetery was founded in 1892 is the largest in all of Europe.
Leczyca
Leczyca lies in the valley of the Bzura River. It was established in the 6th Century. In the 10th Century it was the site of one of the first Christian churches built in Poland. The Romanesque church, and the original site of this entire town, is now an independent village called Tum.
Oporów
The castle at Oporów is one of the few in Poland that still exists in its original form. It was built in the 15th Century for Wladyslaw Oporowski, archbishop of Gniezno.
Kutno
Kutno houses the Museum of the Battle of Bzura, the heaviest battle in defense of Poland in September, 1939.
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Last Modified: Tuesday, 11-Sep-2007 15:59:52 MDT