Markus Silberstein's Factory

Markus Silberstein's Factory, also known as the Knitting Industry Plant Named After the Victims of September 10, 1907, and later as the "Olimpia" Knitting Industry Plant, is located in Łódź at 242/250 Piotrkowska Street. Its history dates back to 1894, when the first building, serving both office and residential purposes, was constructed. In the following years, in 1896, a weaving mill building designed by Adolf Zeligson was added. By 1900, the factory employed around 800 workers, highlighting its significance in the textile industry of that era. A much darker event occurred in 1907 when the owner's son, Mieczysław Silberstein, was murdered by workers amid tensions over wages. After World War I, the factory began collaborating with "Piotrkowska Manufaktura." Architecturally, the weaving mill stands out for its stylization as a Gothic defensive structure, featuring an impressive 60-meter-long facade and two towers at the corners. Today, it is considered one of the most interesting examples of 19th-century industrial architecture in Łódź. After World War II, the plant was renamed the Knitting Industry Plant Named After the Victims of September 10, 1907, and later as "Olimpia." An interesting detail is that single-story weavers' houses, built after the regulation of the Łódka settlement between 1824 and 1828, once stood in front of the weaving mill building. Thus, the factory holds not only historical but also cultural significance, serving as an important landmark on Łódź's industrial map.