City of Zyrardow, Poland

Zyrardów … is a completely unexpected gem between Warsaw and Łódź. It was supposed to be just … another city visited by the Straw Art team as part of the photographic commission of urban architecture for the Kaes company. What we saw not only exceeded our expectations, because we did not expect such a beautiful and interesting factory architecture and industrial atmosphere, but simply delighted. Although many years have passed since Żyrardów was the pearl of the Polish textile industry, the remains of red brick factories and former residences of company directors still delight with their beauty. Perfectly preserved and well-maintained monuments give the city an unusual aura of history. Passing another impressive tenement houses and buildings made of characteristic red brick, you can get the impression that time has stopped here. Żyrardów, as it turns out, is the only city in Europe with a complete and unchanged urban complex from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At the main square, currently named after John Paul II, there is a monumental building of the Old Przędzalnia. It was here that in 1829 a linen factory was established, which gave rise to the whole city. Its first technical director was Philip de Girard, a famous French inventor. And here’s a curiosity… where did the name Żyrardów come from? At the time when the Linen Products Factory was being established, the town was called Ruda Guzowska, which was changed in honor of the French inventor. And so, after making his name Polish, Żyrardów was established. Other equally impressive buildings were erected around the old spinning mill: e.g. a hosiery or a new spinning mill. A little further on, a complex of facilities for bleaching fabrics was also built – commonly known as Bielnik. Unfortunately, after the wars, the business began to decline and the Linen Plant was finally liquidated in the 1990s. Unfortunately, only memories and unique architecture remain of the great textile empire. It’s worth going there and… delight 🙂

Pictures: Straw Art, Katarzyna Slomka
Customer of the photo session: KAES
Location: Zyrardow