Villa moved from Scaleniowa Street

Piotrkowska 282

When wealthy Łódź businessmen finished building their lavish estates in the city, towards the end of the 19^th century they turned to building their summer residences in more serene environs. The forest near Ruda Pabianicka quickly became popular as one such destination. At the time, it was a factory workers’ village where Ludwik Geyer had opened a distillery and sugar factory in 1852. This densely wooded area was famous for its microclimate. Major industrialist families, such as the Kindermanns, the Steigerts, and the Silbersteins, built their wood and brick villas there. One of the key investors in this region was a Swiss dentist – Roman Saurer. Apart from his “Hygieja” property, he built numerous villas for rent, boosting the attractiveness of Ruda Pabianicka. Soon his idea was followed by the Jewish industrialist Szaja Światłowski, a shareholder in the Światłowski, Kon & Brener Wool Products Factory. He bought a magnificent wooden residence at Zagłoby 16 street, which was most likely a present for his wife Klara, who suffered from consumption, i.e. tuberculosis. He had hoped the healthier surroundings would improve her condition.

Rich in architectural details, the structure is somewhat similar to summer villas built in the vicinity of Warsaw in the “świdermajer” style. These rather distinct wooden houses were built at the turn of the 20^th century in towns located along the so-called Otwock line, inspired by the work of Michał Elwiro Andriolli. Their design featured influences from the architecture of Swiss Alp mountain chalets and Russian dachas. Based on an irregular design, the villa in Ruda Pabianicka was a two-storey building, with a non-usable attic. The construction featured two decorative angular towers with pointed roofs and glazed verandas. Numerous windows were adorned with masterfully crafted muntins and fitted with ornamental coloured glass.

During the German occupation, the large building was divided into 18 apartments occupied by tenants. The building was used in such fashion until 2006 but after years of deterioration it became unsafe for habitation. Before being moved to Łódź City Culture Park, the residence had an unexpected moment of fame when it was used as a shooting location in an American horror film about a haunted house. The cast of the 2008 movie “House” directed by Robby Henson includes Michael Madsen and Weronika Rosati.