THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE

Deep in the courtyard at 262 Piotrkowska Street stands an imposing palace that once belonged to the Schweikert family of factory owners. With its mansard roof and columned, semi-circular portico, it resembles a French mansion. The presentable staircase inside, leading to a glazed mezzanine, is a place particularly favoured by filmmakers. Changing owners over the years have contributed to significant devastation of the entire building. Since 1993, the palace became the headquarters of the European Institute, and the entire palace and park complex underwent a major renovation.

The Promised Land,

directed by Andrzej Wajda, 1974

Schweikert Palace played the meeting place of ‘lodzermenschen’ in Wajda’s film. A stately staircase leads to a hall that is something of a combination of an exchange office, restaurant and stock exchange. The interior is filled with the hustle and bustle of merchants doing business, the languages of various nationalities living in 19th-century Lodz are mixed. A well-known character here is Moryc Welt (Wojciech Pszoniak). Here, too, Borowiecki (Daniel Olbrychski) holds business talks with Müller (Franciszek Pieczka). Here we meet for the first time Mr. Bum–Bum who will eventually turn out to be the perpetrator of the arson of the Borowiecki, Welt and Baum factory.

See what films have been shot in Łódź:

BLIND CHANCE

THE FEVER

IDA

IN DARKNESS

See popular film locations:

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF ŁÓDŹ

PASTOR’S MILL

THE CAVE in ŹRÓDLISKA II PARK

SCHEIBLER’S SPINNING MILL