On behalf of Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, and the Jewish Religious Community, we invite you to Łódź for the solemn commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The main ceremonies will take place on August 29, 2025, at the Jewish Cemetery and Radegast Station, with accompanying events taking place between August 24 and 31.
The 29th of August is a symbolic date – in August 1944, the last residents of the restricted district were deported from the Łódź Ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau by the German occupiers. After that, the ghetto was gradually liquidated.
Every year, the city of Łódź holds ceremonies commemorating these events and honouring the victims. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. While remembering the victims of Nazi crimes, we also want to talk about those who survived the Holocaust. The survivors have been with us for years. They will also be here this year and will actively participate in the events. The testimonies of Holocaust survivors, but also the lessons learned from these meetings, are an important part of remembrance. For the last days of August, in cooperation with many partners, including representatives of the second and third generations, we have prepared a series of meetings, concerts, film screenings and exhibitions open to the residents of Łódź, as well as guests from Poland and abroad.
Łódź remembers its citizens, as well as the thousands of Jews from nearby towns and many cities across Europe who perished here or were deported from here to extermination camps. In total, over 200,000 Jews passed through the Łódź ghetto. Only a few, at most a dozen or so thousand people survived the war. The few Survivors who remain today live in various parts of Poland and the world.
PROGRAMME:
29 August (Friday) | Main Commemoration
10:00 AM – Opening of the Permanent Exhibition: Kulmhof ‘No Trace Remains…’ [PL/ENG]
Curated by: Irmina Gadowska, Jerzy Maciej Koba
Organised by: Jewish Religious Community in Łódź
Content supervision: Martyrdom Museum in Żabikowo, Museum of the Former German Extermination Camp Kulmhof in Chełmno on the Ner River – Branch of the Martyrdom Museum in Żabikowo
Free admission
Venue: Funeral Home, Jewish Cemetery, 40 Bracka Street
This permanent photographic exhibition features historical photos documenting camp prisoners, collages with their writings, and contemporary photos of memorial sites.
Kulmhof (Chełmno on the Ner River) was the first German mass extermination camp in occupied Poland. Created in December 1941, it operated until April 1943. The camp reopened in March 1944 during the planned liquidation of the Łódź Ghetto. On the night of 17–18 January 1945, the last 45 prisoner-craftsmen were murdered. Over 200,000 people were killed at Kulmhof, which was the main site of extermination for Jews from the Wartheland and the Łódź Ghetto.
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11:00 AM – Religious Ceremonies and Symbolic Candle Lighting [PL/ENG with Polish Sign Language translation]
Venue: Jewish Cemetery, 40 Bracka Street
Ceremony at the monument commemorating Łódź Jews.
Live stream: facebook.com/centrumdialogulodz and youtube.com/centrumdialoguwlodzi
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11:50 AM – Memorial March to Radegast Station
Route: Zmienna Street – Inflancka Street – Pamięci Ofiar Litzmannstadt Getto Avenue
12:30 PM – Official Commemoration at Radegast Station [PL/ENG with Polish Sign Language translation]
Venue: Museum of Independence Traditions in Łódź – Radegast Station Branch, 12 Pamięci Ofiar Litzmannstadt Getto Avenue
After the Survivor’s speech, participants will light candles in tribute to the victims.
The ceremony will feature a procession with a banner dedicated to Hinda/Barbara Beatus, led by artist and researcher Zuzanna Hertzberg.
Hinda/Barbara Beatus was a Łódź resident, activist, co-founder and leader of the Anti-Fascist Organisation “Lewica Związkowa” (Union Left) in the Łódź Ghetto. She led the resistance and made the difficult choice not to take part in the ghetto uprising.
Live stream: facebook.com/centrumdialogulodz and youtube.com/centrumdialoguwlodzi
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3.30 PM "I don't need to be loved, I need to be understood.* Erased, misunderstood, inconvenient" – storytelling by Zuzanna Herzberg within the exhibition space of “Fashion System”.[PL/ENG]
Tickets: standard 15 PLN | reduced 10 PLN
Tickets can be purchased at the Museum ticket office and online at bilety.cmwl.pl.
Venue: Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź | 282 Piotrkowska Street
Zuzanna Hertzberg will share with the participants the story of the founders of the Anti-Fascist Organization "Trade Union Left": Ruchla, Lea, "Ziula" Pacanowska, Hinda / Barbara Beatus, and Genia Szlak.
5:00 PM – "Sounds of Yearning" – A Concert of Nigunim [PL]
Performed by: Raphael Rogiński
Venue: Park Ocalałych (Survivors’ Park), 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Raphael Rogiński (Cukunft, Alte Zachen, Shofar) will perform mystical Hasidic melodies (nigunim) arranged for electric guitar. Nigunim are often wordless spiritual songs composed in Poland and Ukraine before World War II, offering a unique insight into the region’s musical heritage. Rogiński’s arrangements bring a modern interpretation to these traditional melodies.
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Accompanying events will be held from the 24th–31st of August 2025
24 August (Sunday)
12:00 PM – Following the Trail of the Ghetto: A Walk Around the Jewish Cemetery [PL]
Hosted by: Paweł Kulig (President of the “Guardians of Memory” Association) and Edyta Jerzyńska (licensed guide in Łódź)
Venue: Jewish Cemetery | entrance from Zmienna Street
Admission: 10 PLN (to support the restoration of Jewish Cemetery monuments)
During the walk, we will focus on the history of the cemetery during World War II, when its grounds were part of the ghetto. You will learn what funerals looked like in the ghetto, the significance of the so-called ghetto field (where most victims were buried), and visit the graves of Łódź residents who died in the ghetto, hearing their personal stories.
Gentlemen are kindly asked to wear head coverings.
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26 August (Tuesday)
5:00 PM – Resistance Is Our Only Way Forward: In the Footsteps of Women in the Łódź Ghetto – Walk [PL]
Hosted by: Ewa Kamińska-Bużałek, Izabela Olejnik
Meeting point: Bałucki Market (Zgierska Street side)
Admission: Free
They wore lipstick to look healthy enough to avoid deportation. They wrote poems and kept diaries despite the scarcity of pencils. They fought to survive and to protect their children. They were part of the underground resistance.
Join us for a walk through the former Łódź Ghetto in search of the stories of women – pre-war artists, writers, and mothers brought from Western Europe to a foreign city. We will share their struggles and strength, reading excerpts from the writings of Chawa Rozenfarb, Melania Fogelbaum, Irene Hauser, Rywka Lipszyc, and others.
Organised by: Łódź Women's Trail Foundation
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8:00 PM – The Broken Heart of Bałuty: A Theatrical Encounter with Łódź History [PL]
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Registration required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel. +48 42 636 38 21, +48 506 155 911
A performance of the original play Eugenia's Last Dream directed by Dorota Abbe, inspired by the story of the German children’s camp on Przemysłowa Street and the controversial figure of Eugenia Pol, a brutal camp guard. The play explores the nature of memory, denial, and the blurred line between good and evil through contrasting testimonies.
Organised by: Gra/nice Foundation
27 August (Wednesday)
4:00 PM – Performative Reading of Chava Rosenfarb’s Short Stories by Anita Tomczak [PL]
Venue: Survivors’ Park | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
5:00 PM – Memory Map: Here–There–Then–Today – Workshop [PL/ENG]
Hosted by: Patrycja Dołowy
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Registration required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel. +48 42 636 38 21, +48 506 155 911
Interactive workshops engaging present-day Łódź residents and descendants of Holocaust survivors in creating a shared map of personal stories, connecting past and present, across generations and geographies. The second part of this project takes place on 30 August.
7:00 PM – How Much of the Survivors Is in Us? – Panel Discussion [PL/ENG]
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Registration required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel. +48 42 636 38 21, +48 506 155 911
A conversation with descendants of Łódź Ghetto survivors about growing up with inherited trauma and memory, the silence surrounding their families' past, and the long-lasting emotional legacy of the Holocaust.
28 August (Thursday) – Survivors’ Day
4:00 PM – Presentation of Memorial Tree Certificates and Choir Concert [PL/ENG]
Venue: Survivors’ Park | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Admission: Free
Since 2004, over 650 trees have been planted in Survivors’ Park in tribute to those who survived the war. Each year, new names are added.
The Children’s Choir of the City of Łódź and the Clil Jewish Choir will perform pieces inspired by the voices of children and survivors, including "Dream" (lyrics by Abram Koplowicz), "The Children Are Coming" (lyrics by Miriam Harel), "Arum dem fayer", and "Ani Maamin".
5:00 PM – We Will Not Stay Indifferent: Remembering Marian Turski
Guests: Joanna Turska, Zuzanna Herzberg, Joanna Podolska
Hosted by: Estera Flieger
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Admission: Free
An evening commemorating Marian Turski, Holocaust survivor, journalist, historian, and advocate for human rights. A conversation about his legacy and enduring call to action: “Don’t be indifferent.”
7:00 PM – Jewish Songs: Concert by Maciej and Marek Kądziela [PL]
Venue: Survivors’ Park | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Admission: Free
A father and son concert exploring traditional Jewish songs through the lens of contemporary jazz and emotional expression – a musical dialogue between generations.
8:00 PM – Shekhinah Smiles Quietly: Concert by the Band NACHUM
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Registration required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel. +48 42 636 38 21, +48 506 155 911
An avant-garde reimagining of songs by Jewish composer Nachum Sternheim. The performance features an ensemble of acclaimed musicians combining jazz, Yiddish tradition, and experimental sounds to reclaim and share forgotten musical heritage.
30 August (Saturday)
11:00 AM – Reconciled with Evil: Meeting with Leon Weintraub, Survivor of the Łódź Ghetto [PL/ENG]
Venue: Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Registration required: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel. +48 42 636 38 21, +48 506 155 911
An intimate meeting with Leon Weintraub, born in 1926 in Łódź, who survived the Holocaust and became a voice for remembrance and peace. Places are limited.
1:30 PM – Curator’s Tour of the Exhibition "The Fashion System" with Paweł Michna [ENG]
Venue: Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź | 282 Piotrkowska Street
Tickets: 38 PLN (standard), 28 PLN (reduced)
Tickets available at the museum ticket office or online at bilety.cmwl.pl
Explore the exhibition that merges fashion, memory, and resistance with curator Paweł Michna.
4:00 PM – Site-Specific Walk: Conclusion of the Workshop with Patrycja Dołowy [PL/ENG]
Venue: Starting point – Survivors’ Park | 83 Wojska Polskiego Street
Admission: Free
A walk through symbolic sites across Łódź, connecting descendants' stories to the places where the past and present meet. Featuring small interventions and storytelling in public space.
31 August (Sunday)
12:00 PM – Walk in the Footsteps of the Łódź Ghetto: Radegast Station – Extended Guided Tour [PL and Polish Sign Language]
Starts at: Radegast Station Branch | 12 Pamięci Ofiar Litzmannstadt Getto Avenue
Tickets: 12 PLN (standard), 6 PLN (reduced)
Organised by: Museum of Independence Traditions in Łódź – Radegast Station Branch
2:00 PM – Film Screening: "The World Will Tremble" directed by Lior Geller [PL/ENG]
Venue: EC1 – City of Culture | ul. Tuwima 46
Admission: Free
Registration: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Screening followed by a Q&A session with director Lior Geller (in English with Polish interpretation).
This powerful film tells the true story of two Polish-Jewish prisoners who escaped a Nazi death camp to bear witness to the Holocaust. Featuring Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jeremy Neumark Jones.
Organised by: Jewish Community of Łódź
More info: https://www.centrumdialogu.com/en/litzmannstadt-ghetto