The weavers’ houses are tiled wooden houses that were built by weavers in the 1820s, a time when the town Zgierz was at the heart of Poland’s wool textile industry. “The weavers’ houses represent some of the most interesting urban wood constructions in Europe”, says project manager Arkadiusz Boguslawski.
The houses have, however, deteriorated over the years, and were in a very bad technical condition in 2008, the year the town decided that something needed to be done. With support from the EEA Grants, Boguslawski and the Town of Zgierz are now in the process of renovating and refurbishing the four wooden weavers’ houses.
Houses relocated to the “Town of Weavers”
The renovated buildings will become part of the “Town of Weavers” cultural park, an area in Zgierz where 23 well-preserved weavers’ houses are to be relocated. The buildings will be moved there from different parts of the town, and for this reason the EEA Grants supported project also involves the physical relocation of three of the weavers’ houses. In addition, the project also includes tree planting and landscaping of the surrounding streets to give visitors the feeling of being taken back in time to the early 19th century.
The renovated weavers’ houses will accommodate the administrative offices of the “Town of the Weavers”, a tourist information, a Wood Maintenance Centre, a hostel for students and scientists, an art gallery and conference rooms. The Wood Maintenance Centre will become the first one of its kind in Poland. In addition to conducting research on wooden architecture, this centre will focus on promoting efficient methods of protecting wooden historic buildings, and on awareness-raising regarding the role of wooden building engineering in Poland.
As parts of the “Town of Weavers”, the renovated buildings are expected to contribute in making the town and the surrounding region more attractive to tourist, which again will stimulate the town of Zgierz both economically and culturally. The project is planned to end in April 2011.
Photo: Town of Zgierz.