Inteligencja i rewolucja w Łodzi w latach 1905–1907
Abstract
The 1905–1907 Revolution in the Kingdom of Poland was a significant experience not only for
workers, but also for other social classes, including the Intelligentsia. The Revolution was the
moment when the Intelligentsia in Łódź emerged with such an intensity for the first time. It became
active in the city’s social, political and cultural life. Owing to 1905–1907 events, the Intelligentsia
became integrated as a social class and its identity became more defined.
Mass protests of workers were perceived by majority of the Intelligentsia as unsettling. They was
seen a threat to the social peace and order and the city’s economy since they often turned into
violent fratricidal fights, which were detrimental to the city’s material and moral condition. The
Intelligentsia saw its main role in improving workers’ education, which might draw them away
from the revolutionary movement. Many ideas and initiatives of the Intelligentsia concerning
workers seem to have been belated or inadequate in the view of the torrid revolutionary period.
Politically, a major part of Łódź Intelligentsia was connected with the liberal and national movement.
For them, the highest value of 1905–1907 events was the opportunity to gather and organise
educational associations, lectures and Polish language classes. The period is usually referred to as
“years of freedom” and perceived as the time when the Polish society, including its Intelligentsia,
unprecedentedly revived for the first time in years.