Lodz was granted the city status in 1423 but the city’s economic growth started at the beginning of 19th century. Within several years a small village turned into a large textile centre. Not only Poles but also Germans, Jews, Russians, Czechs, Italians, the French and the Swiss invested in Lodz industry. There appeared huge industrial complexes, almost self-dependent cities within the city with their own workers’ houses’ districts, shops, fire brigades, schools, hospitals and churches.

Today Lodz is the second, after Warsaw, Polish city with the population of 785,000 in 2001. It is a capital of region inhabited by about 2,6 mln people. Light industry still dominates in Lodz although economic transformation in the country brought a difficult situation in this area. Food-processing, chemical and electro-mechanical industries have also a large share in the economic life of the city.

Lodz is a strong cultural, education, medical and artistic centre of the country. This is where Arthur Rubinstein and Julian Tuwim come from. Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski and Krzysztof Kieslowski attended the Lodz Film School. Lodz is also a seat of 7 other public academies and universities and about 10 private collages. Lodz is also one of the largest trade centres in Poland, every year there are several national and international exhibitions.

Healthy Cities
Lodz joint the WHO European Healthy Cities Network in 1993 and it has been a member of the Network in II and III Phase of the project. Lodz is also a member and the seat of the Polish Healthy Cities Association. The project is located in a Department of Public Health of the Lodz City Office.

A local strategy for health „Direction of actions for health of Lodz citizens” was adopted by a City Council Resolution in March 2001. It formulates current and planned actions implemented by the city authorities in order to improve the health status and quality of life of the inhabitants of Lodz. It covers many sectors of city life which influence health:
• natural environment
• management of the city area
• economic development of the city
• job market
• education
• health care and health promotion
• social support
• safety
• social activity