Izrael Kalman Poznański (25 August 1833–28 April 1900) was a Polish-Jewish businessman, textile magnate and philanthropist in Łódź, Congress Poland (part of the Russian Empire), and the husband of Eleonora Hertz Poznańska.

[3] His complex of mills in Łódź, Poland, have been turned into the 69-hectare (170-acre) Manufaktura mixed-use development, including a mall, 3 museums, a multiplex cinema, a hotel, and restaurants.

In 1834, the family, now quite wealthy, moved from Aleksandrów to Łódź, where the father acquired the right to trade in textiles, notably cotton and linen, and built the first two-story tenement house in the Old Town, where he also established a store selling fabrics and spices.

By 1871 Poznański had begun buying up plots at 17–23 Ogrodowa Street in order to build a new grand industrial complex; the following year, the first factory facility was erected on the site, a high-output cotton mill with some 200 mechanical looms.

Subsequently, Poznański rapidly expanded his plant, as described by the following timeline: This impressive complex (shot by master Polish photographer Bronisław Wilkoszewski for his album Views of the City of Łódź in 1895 and illustrated here) still stands.

It originally contained five-aisled production halls, and functioned as an industrial complex until World War II before being nationalized under the Communist regime.

At that time, the average workday for a laborer lasted 16 hours, from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. That year, in addition, Izrael Poznański mandated that employees also work on public holidays, beginning on August 15, the Feast of Our Lady of Herbs.

[8] In 1891, the report of the factory inspector documented that Poznański paid the lowest wages of any industrialist in Łódź, and the penalties that his weavers faced if they broke regulations were the most severe.

[13] Izrael Poznański died on April 28, 1900, and two days later he was buried in the family tomb in the New Jewish Cemetery in Łódź.

A clear change can be observed during Poznański's life story: initially he was known as a ruthless employer, neglecting the safety of employees.

He contributed in financing the iconostasis at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Łódź, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus by the Imperial Russian authorities.