In the 16th and early 17th centuries, Pomerania possessed 21 seaports owned by local towns. These ports, together with their respective cities, formed integrated economic entities, differing in size and consequently in the scope of their trade activities. \n \nIn general, Pomeranian ports can be divided into three categories: \n \nLarge ports \u2014 Stralsund, Szczecin, and Greifswald \u2014 which conducted trade across the Baltic Sea and the North Sea; \n \nMedium-sized ports \u2014 Bardo, Anklam, Wolgast, Ko\u0142obrzeg, Dar\u0142owo, and Ustka\/S\u0142upsk \u2014 whose commerce was focused primarily within the Baltic region; \n \nSmall ports \u2014 Damgarten, Lassan, Usedom, Uckerm\u00fcnde, Nowe Warpno, Police, D\u0105bie, Inouj\u015bcie\/Goleni\u00f3w, Wolin, Kamie\u0144 Pomorski, Regouj\u015bcie\/Trzebiat\u00f3w, and \u0141eba \u2014 which maintained trade mainly with ports along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n\n
Pomeranian ports differed not only in size and scope of trade, but also in their spatial arrangement in relation to their parent cities. \n \nSome ports \u2014 such as those in Szczecin, Stralsund, Wolin, and Kamie\u0144 Pomorski \u2014 were located directly beneath their towns, respectively on the Oder River, the Stralsund Strait, or the Dziwna\/Kamie\u0144 Lagoon. This occurred when the waters adjacent to the towns were deep enough for contemporary seagoing vessels. In such cases, the towns were tightly integrated with their ports, and their street layouts reflected this proximity. In Szczecin, Stralsund, Wolin, and Kamie\u0144 Pomorski, several streets led directly to the harbor, which was separated from the town only by city walls. At the ends of these streets were water gates or passages, facilitating communication with the port area. \n \nThe situation looked somewhat different in Greifswald, Ko\u0142obrzeg, and Dar\u0142owo. During the Middle Ages, these centers had ports located directly beneath the cities, and their urban layouts included streets leading to the waterfront. However, by the 15th century \u2014 and in Ko\u0142obrzeg\u2019s case, as early as the 14th century \u2014 the local harbors had become too shallow for seagoing ships. Consequently, in the 16th and early 17th centuries, these towns operated two separate ports. The first, located within the towns, served river barges and smaller vessels, while the second, situated at the river mouths \u2014 the Ryck (Wieck), Pars\u0119ta (M\u00fcnde), and Wieprza (Dar\u0142\u00f3wko) \u2014 handled larger ships. Cargo was transported from there by smaller boats to Greifswald, Ko\u0142obrzeg, and Dar\u0142owo respectively. \n \nA third spatial arrangement was characterized by ports located far from their home towns. Examples include Inouj\u015bcie, serving Goleni\u00f3w and partially Stargard, Regouj\u015bcie, the port of Trzebiat\u00f3w (also used by Gryfice), and Ustka, which served S\u0142upsk. In these cases, ports developed at the navigable mouths of rivers, where maritime trade was concentrated. The towns themselves maintained river ports, which received and dispatched goods to and from their coastal harbors.<\/p>\n\n
All Pomeranian ports were equipped in a similar way. On the waterside, wooden quays were built, often supplemented with loading piers. The length of the quays and the number of piers depended on the size and importance of each port. \n \nFor example, in Szczecin, during the period in question, quays operated on both sides of the Oder River between the Long Bridge (Most D\u0142ugi) and the K\u0142odny Bridge (Most K\u0142odny). From the city side, five piers extended into the harbor basin, facilitating the handling of larger vessels. In Stralsund, there were six long piers. In Wolin, located on the Dziwna River, the harbor had only a single quay, as this small port served smaller vessels, for which the water depth along the quay was sufficient. In Kamie\u0144 Pomorski, a short and shallow quay stood on the Karpinka Bay side, where small boats, including fishing vessels, were moored. The main harbor structure there was a single long pier used by larger ships. \n \nIn Regouj\u015bcie, Ko\u0142obrzeg, Dar\u0142\u00f3wko, and Ustka, the quays lined the river mouths of the Rega, Pars\u0119ta, Wieprza, and S\u0142upia rivers. Their proximity to the open sea made port operations difficult. Apart from storms, the greatest challenge was the coastal current, which carried sand that clogged river mouths and obstructed navigation. To counter this, the river mouths were reinforced on both sides with breakwaters, designed to channel the river\u2019s flow so that it naturally flushed out a navigable channel through the sand. The breakwaters also protected harbor basins from heavy surf during storms and facilitated ship entry. \n \nOf course, autumn and winter storms often destroyed these structures, requiring constant reconstruction to keep navigation possible. Thus, the biggest challenge for ports located on the open coast was not so much the depth of the harbor basins themselves, though that could also be problematic, but rather the maintenance of adequate water depth \u2014 typically several meters \u2014 along the fairway. \n \nIt is worth noting that dredging operations at the time were very costly and inefficient. \n \nIn addition to quays and piers, Pomeranian ports possessed cargo-handling equipment such as fixed or masonry cranes (as in Szczecin) or wooden, mobile cranes of simple design. For particularly heavy goods, ships\u2019 own booms and rigging were also used for loading and unloading operations.<\/p>\n\n
The operation of Pomeranian ports was overseen by selected members of the city council \u2014 usually one, occasionally two. They served for one-year terms, after which they were replaced, though a particularly competent official could be reappointed for several consecutive years. \n \nThe harbor master\u2019s duties included maintaining the infrastructure of the port in good condition, ensuring adequate water depth, maintaining order, and supervising smooth cargo-handling operations. He was also responsible for collecting harbor fees, especially the \u201cpiling tax\u201d (c\u0142o palowe). \n \nThe harbor master\u2019s direct assistants were the harbor fee collector (often working with a clerk) and the quay overseer (pan nabrze\u017cny). The fee collector was responsible for properly levying port dues, while the quay overseer directly and continuously supervised the daily work on the docks. It was the quay overseer who assigned groups of porters to unload specific ships. \n \nThe porters, sometimes organized into guilds or brotherhoods \u2014 such as the Brotherhood of St. Lawrence in Szczecin \u2014 formed the main labor force of the harbor. They were responsible for loading and unloading goods, carrying them from warehouses or granaries to the quay and vice versa, transporting cargo to merchant offices or private storage facilities. \n \nTheir participation in direct loading and unloading of ships was, however, limited. These operations were performed mainly by the ship\u2019s crew, under the supervision of the captain, skipper, or boatswain, and for an additional wage. \n \nUp until the 18th century, Pomeranian ports did not employ professional stevedores (sztauerzy) \u2014 specialists who arranged cargo in ship holds to prevent shifting during voyages. Improperly stowed cargo often led to shipwrecks. Therefore, the captain or an experienced boatswain personally supervised loading operations to ensure the vessel\u2019s stability and safety at sea. \n \nAlong the quays \u2014 especially in large and medium-sized ports \u2014 worked the inspectors (brakarze), who checked the quality of goods being imported and exported. For example, when inspecting barrels of herring, they would open selected barrels to examine the brine quality, packing method (ensuring the fish were not too loosely arranged), and even taste the fish. Only after such inspection could a product receive the official city quality certificate. \n \nAnother important harbor official was the harbor gatekeeper (stawiasz k\u0142ody portowej), responsible for allowing ships in and out of the port, managing the opening and closing of the harbor barriers.<\/p>\n\n
The smaller the port, the more modest its staff. In small harbors, especially those located far from their parent towns, the city councillor responsible for supervision was usually present only occasionally. In his absence, he was permanently replaced by a designated official, who was often the innkeeper. \n \nIn ports such as Inouj\u015bcie or Regouj\u015bcie, the harbor tavern functioned as the administrative center of the port. It was there, under the supervision of the innkeeper \u2014 and sometimes assisted by a scribe \u2014 that harbor fees were collected. \n \nThe innkeeper also took on the role of organizing ship unloading when necessary, usually hiring a small number of day laborers working in the area. If more manpower was needed, he would recruit peasants from nearby villages, paying them in cash for their work.<\/p>\n\n
Finally, it is worth noting that Pomeranian ports observed a winter navigation break, lasting from November to February. This pause was dictated by safety concerns \u2014 during this period, the Baltic Sea was plagued by frequent storms and ice formation, both of which posed serious threats to the wooden hulls of ships of the time. \n \nAs a result, during the winter break, port activity came to a complete halt. Foreign vessels that happened to remain in port were obliged to stay until navigation resumed in the spring.<\/p>\n\n
The Pomeranian ports primarily exported raw materials. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, Pomerania belonged to the Eastern European economic zone, which supplied the West with raw goods. \n \nThe region\u2019s main export was grain \u2014 chiefly rye, followed by wheat. In addition, Pomerania exported timber (mainly for construction, less so for shipbuilding) and various forest products such as ash, potash, and tar. Other important exports included wool, flax, and hemp, as well as smaller quantities of cloth, linen, and leather. \n \nFood products from Pomerania \u2014 such as flour, malt, beer, butter, bacon, cheese, meat, and even bread (notably from Ko\u0142obrzeg to Sweden) \u2014 were shipped to Scandinavia. These goods reached Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and also the Netherlands, England, and Scotland. On rarer occasions, Pomeranian ships sailed as far as the northern ports of France and Spain. \n \nFrom Western Europe, the region imported technologically advanced craft goods, spices (pepper, nutmeg, cloves), exotic fruits (lemons, oranges), and tropical woods (ebony, mahogany). France supplied wine and sea salt, while England exported fine-quality cloth and zinc. From the Netherlands and Norway came both manufactured goods and sea fish (especially herring), whereas Sweden provided copper, iron, timber, furs, and millstones. \n \nDue to the lack of statistical records, it is difficult to precisely estimate the trade volume of Pomeranian ports during this period. Conservative estimates suggest that Pomeranian ports handled about 10% of all goods (mostly grain) that passed from the Baltic Sea through the Sound toward the North Sea. \n \nEven in its best years, the port of Szczecin, the second-largest on the coast, achieved only about one-third of Gda\u0144sk\u2019s trade volume. \n \nThis relatively modest export capacity was largely due to the limited production base \u2014 almost all exported goods were locally sourced. The region\u2019s rivers \u2014 such as the Peene, Uecker, Ina, Rega, Pars\u0119ta, Wieprza, and S\u0142upia \u2014 were navigable only within Pomerania and did not connect the ports to wider inland trade routes. Only the Oder River, which flowed into the Baltic at Szczecin, provided a broader economic hinterland encompassing Brandenburg, Silesia, and Greater Poland. \n \nHowever, Brandenburg\u2019s fiscal policy, particularly under John of Kostrzyn, severely restricted Oder\u2013Warta trade, while economic rivalry between Frankfurt an der Oder and Szczecin further cut off Szczecin from its potential inland markets. \n \nThus, despite their strategic location, Pomeranian ports, relying solely on local goods, were unable to develop large-scale maritime trade in the 16th and early 17th centuries.<\/p>\n\n
In summary, Pomerania\u2019s coastal network consisted of urban ports of varying sizes, each engaged in maritime trade of different territorial scope. \n \nThree main spatial patterns can be observed in how towns related to their ports: \n\u2013 some cities had sea ports directly beneath their walls, \n\u2013 others were located a few kilometers away from their harbors, \n\u2013 and still others lay at a considerable distance from the places where their trade was conducted. \n \nThe Pomeranian ports were equipped with quays, piers, and cargo-handling facilities. They were managed by city councillors appointed by the municipal council for a one-year term. Under their supervision worked the harbor staff \u2014 customs collectors, dockmasters, porters, inspectors, and other officials. \n \nFrom these ports, exports were shipped mainly to the Baltic and North Sea countries, consisting primarily of raw materials: grain, timber and its by-products, wool, hides, flax, hemp, and various foodstuffs. \n \nIn return, the imports included craft goods, cloth, salt, wine, fish, overseas products, metals (such as iron, copper, zinc), and timber from Scandinavia.<\/p>\n\n
More:<\/p>\n\n
R. Gazi\u0144ski, Handel morski miast pomorskich w XVI i pierwszej po\u0142owie XVII wieku<\/em>, w: \u201eStudia Maritima\u201d, vol. 28, 2015, s. 157-184.<\/p>\n\n R. Gazi\u0144ski, Uk\u0142ady przestrzenne porty \u2013 miasta w XIII-XVIII wieku na przyk\u0142adzie o\u015brodk\u00f3w pomorskich<\/em>, w: Miasto historia i wsp\u00f3\u0142czesno\u015b\u0107<\/em>, Szczecin 2001, s. 65-72.<\/p>\n\n B. Wachowiak, Pomorze Zachodnie w schy\u0142kowej epoce feudalizmu (1464 \u2013 1815)<\/em>, w: Historia Pomorza t. II do 1815, cz. 1 (1464\/66 \u2013 1648\/57)<\/em>, red B. Labuda, Pozna\u0144 1976.<\/p>\n\n Rados\u0142aw Gazi\u0144ski<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false},"kategoria-epoki":[55],"class_list":["post-1913","epoka","type-epoka","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","kategoria-epoki-pomorze-szwedzkie-i-brandenbursko-pruskie"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"kategoria-epoki":[{"value":55,"label":"Pomorze Szwedzkie i Brandenbursko-Pruskie"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/epoka\/1913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/epoka"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/epoka"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kategoria-epoki","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kategoria-epoki?post=1913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}