ABSTRACT In this paper I investigate commodity market integration, market efficiency and market performance in preindustrial Eastern Europe. In particular, I look at the Polish rye market between 1500 and 1772. I analyse annual rye price data from seven cities. The results suggest that market conditions in Poland in the sixteenth century were relatively favourable. The market disintegrated in the seventeenth century. Afterwards, Polish markets remained relatively segmented, in contrast to many Western European countries whose markets thrived in the eighteenth century. This supports the hypothesis that even before the Industrial Revolution there was the Little Divergence in economic development between western and eastern Europe. The disintegration crisis in Poland was linked to the separation of landlocked cities from the common market. After the seventeenth century, cities located on the Vistula river enjoyed better market conditions and remained better integrated than the landlocked ones. The long-term market crisis may have resulted from the devastating warfare in the mid-seventeenth century.

中文翻译：

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工业化前波兰的市场状况，1500–1772年

摘要在本文中，我研究了工业化前东欧的商品市场整合，市场效率和市场绩效。特别是，我考察了1500年到1772年之间的波兰黑麦市场。我分析了七个城市的年度黑麦价格数据。结果表明，十六世纪波兰的市场条件相对有利。市场在十七世纪解体。此后，与许多在18世纪蓬勃发展的西欧国家相比，波兰市场仍然相对细分。这支持以下假设：即使在工业革命之前，西欧和东欧之间的经济发展也几乎没有什么区别。波兰的瓦解危机与内陆城市与共同市场的分离有关。十七世纪以后，维斯杜拉河上的城市比内陆城市享有更好的市场条件，并且保持了更好的一体化。长期的市场危机可能是由于17世纪中叶的毁灭性战争造成的。