White Factory of Ludwik Geyer

Ludwik Geyer established Łódź's first mechanised cotton spinning and weaving mill at the White Factory. Its neoclassical buildings are a reminder that a factory did not have to have a red-brick exterior. The former production wings were later adapted for exhibitions, but the complex retains its industrial character.

The idea of a textile museum emerged in 1946. In 1952, a textile department was established at the Museum of Art in Łódź; three years later, it was given premises in the White Factory. The buildings needed restoration and conversion. In 1960, the Museum of Textile History became an independent institution. Its founder and first director was Krystyna Kondratiuk.

Kondratiuk combined the history of production with an interest in textile art. Today's collections include old machinery, industrial pattern books, clothing, folk weaving and contemporary artworks. Tools for making fabric sit within a collection that also holds finished garments and works of art. The factory wings were restored gradually as the production site became a museum. The name Central Museum of Textiles was adopted in 1975.