OLD TOWN PARK

The park was created in the years 1951–1953, according to K. Chrabelski’s design. It is situated within the historic Old Town, in the valley of the Łódka River, currently hidden in an underground tunnel. On the premises of the today’s park, nearly up to the end of the 19^th century, there was a water reservoir on the Łódka. When the reservoir was drained and the Łódka piped, the surrounding area got densely developed. During World War II, in the years 1941 - 1944, this area was part of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto created by the Nazi occupation authorities. After the War, it was decided that the ruins that remained after the Ghetto would be demolished and a green zone would be created in the area.

In Darkness

dir. Agnieszka Holland, 2011

Most scenes take place in the sewers were, for practical purposes, shot in a film studio. However, some of them were created in an authentic tunnel of the Łódka River, located under the Staromiejski Park. In the film, the tunnel appears three times. When the massacre in the Lvov Ghetto begins, Leopold Socha (Robert Więckiewicz) and Szczepek (Krzysztof Skonieczny) meet in the sewers Jews who want to rescue themselves. They lead Ignacy Chiger’s (Herbert Knaup) group to a safe place.

Apart from that scene, we see the tunnel entrance on screen twice: when Poldek allows little Krysia Chiger (Milla Bańkowicz) to peek through the scuttle to a street in Lvov (the street itself, however, is located near the Market Square in Piotrków Trybunalski). Several scenes earlier, Poldek and Mundek (Benno Fürmann) approach the exit when they want to go to the surface in search of Mania.

In Darkness

See what films have been shot in Łódź:

COLD WAR

OSIECKA

THE PROMISED LAND

Zbigniew Rybczyński

See popular film locations:

PASTOR’S MILL

DOM LITERATURY IN ŁÓDŹ

TEXTILE HEAD OFFICE BUILDING

TENEMENT HOUSE, 13 DOWBORCZYKÓW STR.