When the war started in 1939, Lodz was the second largest Jewish city in Poland with 223,000 Jews living there, one third of the city’s population.

Lodz was an industrial city and its main industry was textiles. It was often referred to as ‘the Manchester of Poland’. Jews were heavily involved in this industry, at every level, from entrepreunerial factory owners to impoverished factory workers.

The vibrant Jewish community was very mixed, from deeply religious Hassidic Jews to secular socialist Bundists. Some were Zionists, others were not. There were many schools and community organisations, including welfare organisations.