Cotton Matters. A Recognition and Comparison of the Cottonopolises in Central-Eastern Europe during the Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The paper identifies the cities in Central-Eastern Europe which were often called Manchesters in the past, because of their similar path of development and the concentration on cotton production in the 19th century in the period of the industrial revolution. The significance of the cotton industry is underlined in the growth of the cities. Following Eric Hobsbawm’s thesis, cotton is treated as the textile symbol of the industrial revolution. That is why the cities’ comparison includes the role of geography, institutions and technology, which were conducive for cotton production. We claim that cotton production was decisive for the real “take-off” of these cities. and at the same time it was the institutional factor that conditioned the economic development. The primary measure is population change over more than 100 years in 5 Cottonopolises: Manchester – the original one, Chemnitz, Lodz, Tampere and Ivanovo.