The Amber Trade
The amber trade was one of the most distinctive features of the Teutonic Order’s commercial economy. The Baltic coast of Prussia was, and remains, the principal European source of amber — the fossilised resin that washes up on the shores of the Baltic Sea — and the Order held, throughout the history of the state, a strict monopoly on the collection, processing and export of amber. The amber trade was, in most cases, smaller in volume than the grain trade, but it was disproportionately important to the Order’s finances.
The Origins of the Monopoly
The Order’s monopoly on amber was a continuation of a tradition that went back to the Prussian tribes. The Prussian tribes had, before the conquest, collected amber from the Baltic coast and traded it to their neighbours. The Order, after the conquest, took over the collection and trade of amber, and the Order established a strict monopoly on the trade. The monopoly was a regalian right: the right to collect and trade amber was a prerogative of the sovereign, and the Order was the sovereign.
The Organisation of the Trade
The amber trade was organised by a hierarchy of officials. The local Komtur was responsible for the collection of amber from the coastal settlements, the storage of amber in the Order’s warehouses, and the transmission of amber to the central processing workshops. The Komtur was assisted by a staff of Bernsteintreter — amber-collectors.
The amber was processed in workshops at Königsberg, Brandenburg, Lochstedt and other centres. The processing was, in most cases, a skilled craft: the amber was sorted by size and quality, cleaned, and cut into the desired shapes. The principal products were rosary beads, amulets, and other devotional objects, which were the principal market for amber in the late Middle Ages. The processed amber was exported through the ports of Danzig, Königsberg and other centres to the principal markets of western Europe.
The Importance of Amber
The importance of amber to the Order’s finances was substantial. The amber trade was a useful counterbalance to the grain trade: the grain trade was subject to the fluctuations of the harvest, and the amber trade was a more stable source of revenue. The importance of amber was, in addition, symbolic: the amber trade was a distinctive feature of the Prussian state, and the Order’s monopoly was an important assertion of the Order’s regalian rights. The importance of amber was, finally, religious: amber was used for the production of devotional objects, and the Order’s patronage of the amber trade was, a religious enterprise.
The Smuggling Problem
The Order’s monopoly on amber was difficult to enforce. The smuggling of amber was a constant concern of the Order’s customs administration. The smuggling was, in most cases, conducted by the local Prussian population, who had, in many cases, collected amber before the conquest, and who continued to collect amber after the conquest, despite the Order’s monopoly.
The Order’s customs administration attempted to enforce the monopoly through a system of patrols, customs posts, and penalties, but the system was, in most cases, only partially effective. The Order’s attempts to enforce the monopoly were a substantial intrusion into the lives of the local population, and the Order’s customs officials were, in most cases, a substantial source of friction.
The Decline of the Trade
The amber trade was in decline by the fifteenth century. The decline was, in part, a reflection of the changing fashions of western Europe: the demand for amber devotional objects was declining, and the demand for amber was being replaced by the demand for other materials. The decline was, in part, a reflection of the Order’s increasing difficulties in enforcing the monopoly, and the decline was, in part, a reflection of the Order’s increasing difficulties in maintaining the trade routes.
The Thirteen Years’ War of 1454 to 1466 was a disaster for the amber trade. The war disrupted the trade routes, devastated the coastal settlements, and led to the loss of the western portions of the state, including the principal ports. The amber trade was, after the war, substantially reduced.
The Legacy of the Trade
The legacy of the amber trade is substantial. The trade was a distinctive feature of the Prussian state, and the trade was an important symbol of the Order’s sovereignty. The trade was, in addition, a substantial contribution to the development of the commercial infrastructure of the Baltic region. The trade is, an important part of the commercial history of the Baltic region, and it is one of the most distinctive features of the Teutonic state.
Sources
- Biskup, Marian, and Gerard Labuda. Dzieje zakonu krzyżackiego w Prusach. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Morskie, 1986.
- Boockmann, Hartmut. Der Deutsche Orden: Zwölf Kapitel aus seiner Geschichte. Munich: Beck, 1981.
- Dollinger, Philippe. The German Hansa. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1970.
Related Reading
The amber trade is discussed in the context of the main article on the economy and trade, and the wider commercial network is examined in the article on the Hanseatic relations. For the political consequences of the trade, see the article on the Thirteen Years’ War and the article on the Second Peace of Thorn. For the context of the trade, see the main article on the Teutonic state and the article on the establishment of the state.