It is not a coincidence that the Museum of Textiles is located in the White Factory - a unique place on the map of Łódź and a symbol of its textile past. The complex of post-industrial buildings has been revitalised step by step over the years, with respective wings adapted for exhibition purposes. This has allowed the renovated interiors to host many exhibitions and cultural events connected with art in its broadest sense.

The idea to create a museum of textiles in Łódź, which had been the largest textile industry centre in Poland since the 19th century, arose as early as in 1946. Six years later (1952), the Weaving Department was established at the Museum of Art in Łódź. Its collections were steadily growing and exhibitions organised not only on the premises of the Museum of Art, but also at other cultural institutions, were becoming increasingly popular. In 1955, the Weaving Department gained a new location - Ludwik Geyer’s White Factory. The splendid classicist building complex, one of the most beautiful monuments of industrial architecture in Poland, required extensive renovation and adaptation. 5 years later, the Museum of Textile History became an independent institution. In 1975, it changed its name to the Central Museum of Textiles, which in 2013 was extended and since then its full name has been the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź.

The initiator, founder and first director of the Museum was Krystyna Kondratiuk. She was the one who clearly defined the manner and scope of the institution’s operations in the following years. Her vision, passion for creation, but also real achievements laid a solid foundation for what the Museum has become over the years and what it is today - the largest in Europe and unique in the world museum dedicated to the textile industry and all its aspects.

In 60 years, the Museum of Textiles has come a long way to become a specialised institution presenting textiles from many perspectives: as a field of art, an industry, a vast area related to fashion, customs and everyday life. Thanks to the unique and priceless collections gathered over the years, visitors may learn the secrets of the textile production process (collection of textile tools and machines) and see the variety of textile design manufactured in the 19th and 20th centuries (collection of industrial textiles). These textiles come from many centuries and form a rich collection of antique tapestry. Particularly noteworthy is a collection of modern tapestry - one of the largest in the world. Very important are also: a collection of clothing allowing visitors to trace the changes in fashion canons in the 20th and 21st centuries, ethnographic collection documenting folk weaving in the 19th and 20th centuries, collection of documents and memorabilia related to the history of the textile industry, as well as extremely valuable collection of archival materials.

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