Kaunas city register of 1561–1564 as a source of information about the management and sale of forest commodities

Abstract

In historical sources describing 16th century Lithuania, extensive forests are mentioned as a distinctive feature of the region. Forest played a significant role in the development of silviculture and professional groups that exploited forest commodities. Above all, forests were a source of timber for local inhabitants, including builders and craftsmen, but they also offered shelter and provided local communities with food. Forest products such as timber, planks, charcoal, and wood tar were traded on the domestic market and exported to Western Europe. Rapid economic growth and a high demand for Lithuanian forest products enabled domestic and foreign merchants to exploit primeval forests surrounding the city of Kaunas