Developmental Stages of Forestry in Poland (until 1939)

Abstract

The history of Polish forestry is closely connected with the country's general economic and social history, yet a coherent account of its developmental stages from feudalism to the interwar period has been lacking. Deforestation, the exploitation of woodland, and ownership structures constitute key problems that extend beyond purely silvicultural considerations and are directly linked to Poland's agrarian and commercial history.
This article analyzes the developmental stages of Polish forestry in three major periods: the era of free forest use and forest commodity economy under feudalism (to the 18th century), capitalism (19th century), and the interwar period (1919-1939), with particular attention to deforestation, ownership structures, and the export of forest products.
The study draws on Polish forestry statistics, legislative texts (including the Decree on State Forestry of 1936), customs tariffs and export data, and the author's earlier publications on the history of Polish forestry.
The analysis distinguishes two stages within feudalism: the era of free forest use (to mid-15th century) and the development of the forest commodity economy (15th-18th centuries), when timber, tar, and potash were exported via Gdańsk to the West and Poland gained the reputation of the granary of Europe. Under capitalism, deforestation in the Kingdom of Poland accelerated sharply. In the interwar period, the total deforestation balance amounted to approximately 668,000 ha (around 33,500 ha annually), caused by the forest levy (Waldspende) of 1919, concession contracts with foreign firms during the inflation, and estate parcellation. State forests were reorganized from 1924 onwards; the Decree of 1936 created a modern forestry law. Despite these successes, timber cutting exceeded the permitted level by approximately 60%, and timber exports retained a raw material character throughout the period.