The Medical University of Łódź has obtained nearly PLN 19 million in funding from the Office of the Marshal of the Łódź Province for the modernisation of the historic building at 60 Narutowicza St. The renovation will cover the former building of the Collegium Anatomicum and will lead to the creation of a Centre for Health and Social Initiatives. The project involves both renovating the building itself and tidying up the space around it.
Centre for residents and students
The planned centre will host educational and health-oriented activities, as well as initiatives aimed at the local community. The institution will serve as a place for integration, activation and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. To this end, the space surrounding the building will also be redesigned. There will be new benches, bicycle racks and lighting. The project also includes the introduction of intensive greenery. All the work will be carried out under the control of the conservation officer, and the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
History of the Collegium Anatomicum building in Łódź
The building at Narutowicza Street originally served as an asylum run by the Lodz Christian Charitable Society. The Society was founded in 1875 and was dedicated to helping the city’s most needy residents. In 1884, a design for the building was drawn up, formally prepared by Franciszek Chełmiński, but in reality designed by the architect Otto Gehlig. Construction was completed in 1896 and the official opening took place a year later. The building had modern technical features such as gas lighting and a water supply system, as well as Catholic and Protestant chapels.
The war years and post-war changes
Until 1939, the building remained in the hands of the Society. During the occupation, it was taken over by the German authorities and some of the rooms were adapted into a shelter, which led to damage to the building. After 1945, it was handed over to the University of Lodz. Five years later it became the property of the newly established Medical Academy, now the Medical University. It was then that the Collegium Anatomicum was established in the building, which served for teaching and research over the following decades. To this day, the former chapel of the asylum houses an anatomical museum, usually not open to the general public.
Architectural details of the Collegium Anatomicum in Lodz
The building was erected on an elongated rectangular plan. The front elevation was varied with risalits and the whole was given a varied material composition. The lower storeys were covered with plaster and rustication, while the upper storeys were finished with brick in various shades. The windows of the third floor were closed with an arcade, while the top floor received the form of Neo-Romanesque biforiums. The main entrance is decorated with a Neo-Romanesque portal with a rosette. Above it is the Latin phrase ‘Res sacra miser’, which was later replaced by the inscription ‘Collegium Anatomicum’.
source: UM Łódź(https://lodz.pl/)
photos: Fall in love with Lodz
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