The new life of craftsmen houses in Heritage Park of Wooden Architecture in Lodz

Museum of Wooden Architecture in Lodz was constructed in the Władysław Reymont Park adjoining from the back side to the Central Museum of Textiles. The open-air museum covers the area of 6 000 m2. Eight 19th century wooden buildings were moved to the open-air museum: four craftsmen houses (Łódź, ul. Mazowiecka 47, Kopernika 42, Wólczańska 68, Żeromskiego 68), one-storey house for workers (Łódź ul. Mazowiecka 61), a summer villa (Łódź, Scaleniowa 18), a wooden church – the unique example of 19th century wooden sacral architecture which is enrolled into the register of monuments and a wooden tram-stop moved from the Marketplace of the city of Zgierz.

The purpose of the following article is to present the overall process which enabled to preserve the legacy of the early industrial wooden architecture in Lodz (which mainly consists of wooden craftsmen houses). The problems associated with the realization of this project are described in a comprehensive way including both the project preparation process and the details of its final realization. The article presents also different ways of adopting the relocated objects to their new functions, offering wide educational and cultural programme that makes the museum much alive and attractive for tourists.