Specificity of the Economy in Central Poland from the 16th to the 18th Century

Abstract

Research into the economic specificity of historical Polish regions for the 16th-18th centuries faces the absence of precise statistical data. The voivodeships of Łęczyca and Sieradz with the Wieluń Land have not yet been the subject of a comprehensive regional economic analysis, although their transitional character between the major Polish regions has been recognized in the literature since Rybarski's work on Polish trade in the 16th century.
This article analyzes the economic specificity of Central Poland - the voivodeships of Łęczyca, Sieradz, and the Wieluń Land - from the 16th to the 18th century, examining branches of agricultural and livestock production and handicrafts, as well as the transitional character of this territory between Lesser Poland, Greater Poland, Kujawy, and Mazovia.
The study draws on archival sources from the Central Archives of Historical Records (Archiwum Skarbu Koronnego), judicial registers of the voivodeships of Łęczyca and Sieradz and the Wieluń Land, and earlier specialized studies by Libiszowska, Sobczak, Rosin, and the author himself.
The analysis shows that this territory had a clearly transitional character between four major Polish regions, yet possessed its own economic specificity. The cloth industry was particularly developed until the mid-17th century, as was the iron industry of the Wieluń area, which exported iron to Greater Poland, Kujawy, and Mazovia. Milling was highly developed, with one mill per 15 km2 in the Łęczyca district in 1578. Glass production, stone cutting, and lime production were also notable. Cattle breeding and sheep rearing reached level 4, while pond fish farming and the production of flour for export to Silesia contributed to the regional profile. The shoemaking and tailoring of certain towns (Piotrków, Łask, Brzeziny) surpassed local needs and served markets of neighboring regions.