UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Młyny w krainie błot i lasów – casus powiatu mozyrskiego w drugiej połowie XVIII wieku

Identification

Public canonical key

radar:r-c0fdb0053daf548d52e38fa83fb6cc77

Authors

Joanna Kunigielis · Anna Pytasz-Kołodziejczyk

Reported year

2025

Reported language

pl

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-13T09:03:40.196535+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-13T09:03:40.196535+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Mammal Research Institute · Polish Academy of Sciences

Reported affiliation countries

PL

Documentary abstract — original language

The article presents milling in the Mozyr district in the second half of the eighteenth century, situating it within the specific environmental and social conditions of this region in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The area, dominated by swamps, forests, and the variable hydrology of the Pripyat River, was characterised by low agricultural and settlement potential. In 1777, there were 120 mills, most of which were small and single-wheel. Compared to other counties, this number did not deviate from the average number of mills. High groundwater levels, peaty soils, and frequent flooding limited the development of milling infrastructure, and the small number of facilities, including only three windmills, indicates a lack of demand for intensified production. Despite the difficult conditions, local communities adapted to the environment by creating hydrotechnical systems such as weirs, dikes, and canals that provided power for the mills. However, their efficiency was limited by fluctuating water levels. It has been shown that milling in the Mozyr region served not only economic but also social functions, acting as centres that integrated scattered communities. Furthermore, the authors note that marshes, previously seen as an obstacle, became a resource used for production on a scale adapted to local conditions. Mills were part of adaptive technical systems that shaped both the landscape and social structures. These conclusions lead to a reinterpretation of the pre-modern economy, whose goal was not intensification but stabilisation in the face of a changing nature. The study of the Mozyr district reveals the innovativeness of peripheral regions, where natural conditions imposed unique survival strategies.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

https://openalex.org/W7164173320

DOI

10.31338/3071-9569.phis.2025-3.3

Documentary context

Documentary family

article

Source-reported types

article

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1

• Document · https://doi.org/10.31338/3071-9569.phis.2025-3.3

Documentary status

Relevance pending

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