Piotrkowska Street

Piotrkowska Street has a rich history dating back to when it functioned as a route connecting the towns of Piotrków Trybunalski and Zgierz. Along this route was a small urban settlement called Łódź. In 1821, Rajmund Rembieliński, the president of the Commission of the Province of Mazovia, took steps to regulate the building development in the growing industrial settlement. This settlement was known as The New Town and was located to the south of the original Łódź settlement. The street plan of The New Town was laid out along the route, with cross streets and plots of land designated for weaving craftsmen. The plots were 17.5-21 meters wide and consisted of a workshop facing the route and a "garden" for the owner's family. At the northern end of the route was the New Town Market (now Liberty Square), which was located to the south of the Old Town Market. The name Piotrkowska Street was first used to describe the northern part of the route connecting the two markets, while the southern part was unnamed.

As a result of its function as the center of the "manufacture of Łódź," Piotrkowska Street took on the role of a market and courtyard for the entire New Town, instead of a classical city center with a central market and commercial institutions and public organizations. In 1899, Władysław and Antoni Krzemiński, members of the Polish noble family of Krzemiński of Prus III coat of arms, opened the first cinema in Poland on Piotrkowska Street.

The street has also been home to several notable artists, including the renowned Polish and American pianist Artur Rubinstein and the Polish poet and playwright Tadeusz Miciński. In 1867, American and British Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge died suddenly at the Paradyż Theater (Piotrkowska 175) before a scheduled performance.

Before 1990, Piotrkowska Street was just like any other street in the city, despite being the most important one. The plan to convert it into a pedestrian zone only resulted in the relocation of trams to Kościuszki Avenue, which was previously a pedestrian avenue with a wide green belt in its center. However, there was not enough political will to fully transform Piotrkowska Street into a pedestrian precinct, despite the idea resurfacing from time to time. The first step in reducing street traffic was the introduction of "no parking" or "turn only" signs at nearly every crossroad from Mickiewicza Avenue to the Independence Square.

Between 1945 and 1990, the street experienced a gradual decline in its quality. In the 1970s, the old eclectic apartment buildings were not considered historic monuments by the authorities, leading to the demolition of several of them and the construction of office buildings and shopping centers in their place, typically in the international style. In the 1980s, dangerous falling decorative elements were removed from the building walls, even as some buildings were undergoing renovation.

The character of the street changed significantly after 1990, when architect and member of the artistic group "Łódź Kaliska," Marek Janiak, founded the Foundation of Piotrkowska Street with the goal of revitalizing the street and making it a pedestrian precinct. The first step was to close off the stretch of road between Piłsudskiego Avenue and Tuwima Street to traffic, covering it with colorful cobblestones and equipping it with modernistic street lights and other street furniture. This move was met with strong criticism from art conservatives and cultural historians, as it did not match the overall aesthetic of the street.

The northern part of Liberty Square saw a major transformation between 1993 and 1997, where it was revitalized and made into a pedestrian-only area. The street was given a new look with the addition of black cobblestone pavement, which was meant to imitate the old style of paving. The street was also fitted with new street furniture to add to its beauty. However, this effort was met with criticism as every new section of the street had a different surface and decorative style, making the overall appearance inconsistent. Despite the efforts to make the street look beautiful, the cobblestones on the first part were damaged and had to be replaced with new, more solid and grey colored cobblestones. This provided the perfect opportunity to construct the Millennium Monument for the citizens of Lodz.

The revitalization of Piotrkowska Street also brought about a change in the appearance of the apartment buildings and small palaces located next to it. Pubs, restaurants, shops, and cafes moved into these buildings, leading to their renovation. At first, only the front elevations were renovated, but as the popularity of the street increased, the revitalization gradually extended to the backyards and back premises. Nowadays, many of the backyards have been paved with cobblestones and are used for commercial purposes, although not all of them have undergone this transformation.

Piotrkowska Street is a bustling hub of activity and commerce in the heart of Łódź. It serves as the central axis of the city, and is home to a multitude of administrative buildings, banks, shops, restaurants, and pubs. The street is a popular location for events, outdoor parties, marches, and official celebrations organized by the city.

Piotrkowska Street has undergone several name changes over the years, and was once referred to as Bigel. Today, it is more commonly known as Pietryna. It is a significant cultural, political, and commercial center in Łódź, and its importance to the city is reflected in the Monument of Łódź citizens of Millennium Change, which is located between Tuwima Street and Nawrot Street. This monument is unique, as it consists of 13,454 cobblestones, each of which is inscribed with a name.

In recent years, the construction of large shopping centers, such as Galeria Łódzka and Manufaktura, has had an impact on Piotrkowska Street. Some shops have moved to these new locations, leaving some buildings along Piotrkowska Street empty. However, these spaces have gradually started to be used again, although some buildings, like the former Dom Buta, still remain unoccupied. The northern end of Piotrkowska Street is pedestrianized, although emergency and security vehicles are still permitted to use the street, leading to a busy and bustling atmosphere. The width of Piotrkowska Street ranges from 17 to 26 meters, making it a significant thoroughfare in the city.