One of the lesser-known moments in the history of the Litzmannstadt ghetto was the tragic fate of 19 953 Jews from Western Europe, brought to the ghetto in the autumn of 1941. They came from middle-class circles in Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Emden, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. The deportation was the result of the Nazi policy of "cleansing" the Third Reich and occupied territories of Jews. The reason for that action was an attempt to hide the cruelty committed against Jews from the German people.

On October 25, 2011, the Łódź  Philharmonic will perform a "Concert from the Past." It will be dedicated to Jews from the cities in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Luxembourg, who were brought to the Litzmannstadt ghetto exactly 70 years ago, in the autumn of 1941. Amongst them were prominent musicians from Vienna, Berlin or Prague. Tragically, most artists brought to Łódź ghetto by Germans died from exhaustion, disease or were murdered in death camps in Auschwitz and Kulmhof. The Artur Rubinstein Łódź Philharmonic Orchestra, along with invited guests, will reenact on of the concerts played in the Łódź ghetto.

13-17 September 2011

For many years, the rich history of multicultural Łódź has been an inspiration for historians, cultural theorists and artists, as well as the residents of the city. Relations between Jews, Germans, Russians and Poles are the foundation of social awareness and cultural identity. This provides the groundwork for the Łódź of Four Cultures festival, attempting to open international dialogue and based on what we share in culture and art, irrespective of our background.

29 August 2011

The Mayor of the City of Łódź, Hanna Zdanowska and The Head of the Jewish Community in Łódź, Symcha Keller have the honor to invite you to Łódź on 29th September 2011 to the commemoration of the 67th of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto.