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Culture
One key component of the local identity is the distinct regional culture.
The region of Łódź, which is an administrative area shared by
three regions with a distinct cultural identity - those of Łęczyca, Rawa Mazowiecka,
and Sieradz - continues to follow the folk art traditions which are part of the
national cultural heritage.
In the region of Łódź there are to be found deeply rooted traditions and
cultural diversity of whole subregions, e.g. those of Sieradz, Łęczyca, Łowicz,
or Opoczno.In the region's 177 municipalities, engaged in culture propagation
are 47 museums, 171 public libraries, and 157 other culture centres supervised
by Łódzki Dom Kultury (the Łódź Culture House). Numerous folk art groups, mainly
folk music bands, take every opportunity to present the authentic folklore of
their regions. Thanks to these bands young members of the community have an
opportunity to discover the traditions, costumes, and customs characteristic of
the given area.
The traditions so passed down from generation to generation help develop
cultural awareness.
Across the region of Łódź there work about 200
genuine folk artists - embroiderers, paper cut-outs and bouquet makers, sculptors, and
makers of ritual accessories. Many culture centres hold educational activities
pertaining to folk art. Culture is also propagated by songs and customs
preservation associations.
Some of the most interesting regional museums are: the District Museum in
Tomaszów Mazowiecki, the Rawa Region Museum, the Museums in Sieradz, Opoczno,
Łowicz and Łęczyca.
Of the diverse Polish cultural landscapes, those in the region of Łódź
are distinguieshed by their. The most interesting ones comprise the
Nieborów-Arkadia palace and park complex , Łowicz - the capital of the former Łowicz Duchy and a
place of religious worship, and Łęczyca-Tum, which marks the beginning of
the "Roman Route".
Some grand cultural and art monuments in the region of Łódź are the castles
in Oporów, Uniejów, Piotrków Trybunalski, and Rawa Mazowiecka. The most famous
palaces are those in Nieborów and Walewice, homes of the noble families, and
bishops' palaces in Skierniewice and Wolbórz.
It is not only the secular monuments that testify to the rich culture and art
created in the region. The region also boasts splendid sacral objects. The most
outstanding ones comprise the collegiate church in Tum near Łęczyca, the church
in Strońsk and Żarnów, and the Cistercian monastery in Sulejów.
The objects of notable beauty are the 19th-century palaces, residences and
factory buildings.
The cultural image of Łódź - the region's capital - is shaped by the
achievements of the Art Museum, the Central Textile Industry Museum, the City
History Museum, with its famous Arthur Rubinstein Gallery, the Museum of
Archeology and Ethnography, the Cine-matography Museum, or the Artistic Book
Museum. Apart from the academic libraries a large contribution to the
region,s culture comes from the J. Piłsudski Library.
Other institutions with a particular role in conveying humanistic values and
creativity are the numerous theatres, the opera house, the philharmonic,
galleries, culture houses and art colleges.
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