The Central Museum of Textiles, established in 1960, is one of the most comprehensive of its kind. Textiles were produced in the Lodz region entirely on a domestic basis until the 1820's when the Government of the Kingdom of Poland encouraged the building of factories, particularly for the production of woolens and linen. Cotton factories were built from the 1850's, many of them with capital from France and Germany. Several of the notable mills remain today, together with the mansions once occupied by mill owners and some districts of 19th century working class housing. The Central Museum of Textiles includes sections concerned with the history, technology and production as well as with collections of manufactured products, fashion items and folk textiles.
With regard to its research programme, the Museum collections and educational activities are concerned with all the aspects of textile production, from the fibres used, through various textile techniques and technologies to the final textile products in various degrees processing.
All the gathered collections have been analysed and categorised, undergone conservations processes and in various forms, given access to the specialised departments of the museum. The Museum has a surface area of 10,500m² of which 5,000m² are dedicated solely as exhibition space.
Since 1972 the Museum was the joint organiser and since 1981 the sole organiser of the International Triennial of Tapestry in Lodz. Until 1978 the Triennial was organised in two sections, the exhibition and competition of industrial textiles and the exhibition and competition of tapestry which is made with the use of traditional wall-hanging techniques. But since 1981 only tapestry exhibits have been displayed. Presently, the Lodz Triennial is the world oldest and largest international exhibition promoting the art of contemporary tapestry. At the 12th Triennial exhibition, 137 artists representing 52 countries took part. The exhibition took up more than 2,500 m² of floor space and was visited by more than 30,000 people.
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