Economy of Białystok

In the 19th century Białystok was an important center for light industry and was the reason for the substantial growth of the city's population.

In addition, they were cut off from raw material resources and - very importantly - access to the absorbent Russian sales market.

At the beginning of the Second Polish Republic, thanks to state orders for uniforms for the new army, it was possible to partially rebuild the textile industry.

However, Białystok factories were at a low technical level: manufacturers assembled machines on their own, often making missing parts.

Therefore, the factories produced poor quality products: the cheapest cloth and blankets from the worst raw materials.

The favorable economic situation ended in 1924 after Stanisław Grabski's currency reform and in 1925, 90% of Białystok textile workers were unemployed.

Although Białystok was an industrial city and the largest centre in north-eastern Poland, its occupational structure resembled that of neglected borderland towns and it had a large share of small craftsmen and shopkeepers.

[5] There is also a developed machine industry (electronics, machinery and metal), plastic processing (production of household appliances), textiles (textiles and upholstery, manufacture of underwear, clothing accessories, footwear and backpacks), Wood (production plywood and furniture) building materials.