Problems of the Small Ports of Former Poland (Elbląg 16th-18th Century)

Abstract

Research into the history of small Baltic ports has always stood in the shadow of studies on major trading centers such as Lübeck, Gdańsk, or Riga. Within former Poland, the small ports of Elbląg and Puck have been treated only fragmentarily, although they functioned as important elements in the economic life of the coastal zone and hinterland, particularly in relation to the overseas trade connections via Gdańsk.
This article presents a systematic research framework for the study of small ports (ten problem groups) and applies it to Elbląg in the 16th to 18th centuries, with particular attention to navigation conditions, loading facilities, port turnover and its structure, shipping traffic, the shipyard function, and port dues.
The study draws on the Portorienbücher of Elbląg (1586-1700), the customs books of Piława, the Sound toll lists, and the author's earlier works on Gdańsk shipping and on the economic structure of the smaller towns of the Pomeranian voivodeship in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The analysis shows that Elbląg played a secondary role in international trade compared to Gdańsk, owing to its geographical position. After the transfer of English trade to Gdańsk (1628), Elbląg's export structure diversified: Dutch trade intensified and new commodities (woad ash, timber) came to the fore. In the 18th century, export shifted from woad ash to dairy products and fruit, reflecting the contraction of the port hinterland to a regional market (Żuławy, Warmia). Average ship tonnage in the 17th century (74-83 lasts) was comparable to Gdańsk and Königsberg. The Sound toll lists prove unreliable for Elbląg, since many ships completed their cargo in Piława or Königsberg, which were then registered as the port of departure.