The Łódka River is one of Łódź’s most famous rivers. It was on its banks that the settlement we know today as Lodz was founded in the 13th century. The Łódka has its source in Sikawa. It winds its way through almost the entire city to finally flow into the Ner, already outside the borders of Łódź. Unfortunately, today the river is routed underground, which makes many people, especially tourists, unaware that a river flows through Łódź.
Without the Lodz rivers, there would be no Lodz as we know it today. Once an important part of the infrastructure of the textile industry, today they are hidden underground or flow in canals. The city wants to reclaim the rivers for the people of Łódź. We already know the first concepts for the Łódka.
It is one of Łódź’s most famous rivers. The history of the city began on its banks – it was here that the settlement which gave birth to Łódź was founded in the 13th century. The Łódka has its source in Sikawa. It winds its way through almost the entire city, eventually flowing into the Ner, already outside Łódź. It creates picturesque valleys – for example by the Academy of Fine Arts or in Survivors’ Park. For sanitary reasons, in the 19th century it was partially hidden in a canal. Underground, it flows through Helenów Park and Staromiejski Park. It returns to the surface in Park na Zdrowiu and continues to meander towards Brus. At the time of the development of the textile industry, the Łódka fed the factories of Biedermann, Poznański and many other factory owners.
The Łódka River will be discovered
Although it has a rich history and forms a remarkable landscape, today the River Łódka is just one of many forgotten watercourses. This is about to change. The city wants to rediscover it for residents. The river restoration projects concern the section from Konstantynowska Street to the borders of Łódź. First of all, the concrete troughs will disappear. They will be replaced by lush vegetation, providing food and shelter for animals. Pedestrian and cycling paths and bridges will be created along the river, allowing residents to observe wildlife up close. Nearby, the adjacent meadows will provide places for rest and recreation. The project will take into account the historical buildings located on the banks of the Łódka River, such as the Meyer Manor on the Brus, the historic tramway depot or the former shelter. The riverside trail will also include educational elements.
There are more than 20 rivers in Łódź. The city has already reclaimed the Sokołówka for its inhabitants, and the same will soon happen with the Lamus. In addition to the Łódka, the valleys of the Ner and Jasień will also be redeveloped.
The Łódka – the history and significance of the river
The river has a total length of 20 km, of which 15.6 km are within the administrative boundaries of the city. The most detailed description of the river dates from 1860, with an average depth of only 30 cm and a width of no more than 2 metres. The river was small but capricious – it frequently flooded (including in March 1886 and 1887).
The Łódka only had industrial functions in the first period of the creation of textile Łódź, supplying water to: the Saenger dyeworks from 1823, and later to a soap factory, a slaughterhouse and a brewery in the Old Town area; the Mania mill, which was converted into a fulling mill; and then Gustaw Zachert’s son, Maurycy, built a wool spinning mill here.
After 25 years, in 1859 Abraham Prussak built a woolen spinning mill at Kościelna Street in the area of the Łódka watercourse. He was later joined by: Robert Biedermann – cotton factory (2 and 3 Widzewska Street and 11 Smugowa Street), Karol Anstadt – brewery (Średnia Street), Izrael Poznański – cotton factory (Ogrodowa Street). In 1933 the river was regulated for municipal and sewerage purposes.
source: UM Łódź / www.lodz.pl
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