East Prussia had hardly any industry or mineral resources and only one big city – Königsberg (today’s Kaliningrad). Its economy was mainly based on agriculture and forestry, almost 70 percent of its land was used for agriculture. Thanks to its many waters, fishing also played an important role.
The population density of East Prussia, at 61 inhabitants per square kilometre, was less than half the empire average, in Masuria even less than a third. Consequently, farms and estates produced more than what was consumed in the province.
The old three-field economy had been abandoned, and in addition to grain, potatoes, rape, clover and alfalfa were grown. In large parts of Masuria, however, soils and therefore also yields were poor. In the case of livestock, in particular horses and cattle, high successes were achieved through breeding programmes. However, because of the disastrous harvests after the First World War, it took many years before pre-war levels were reached again.
Illustration:
Hay barge in Groß Friedrichsgraben (today Belomorskoje)
Especially in the water-rich regions, fishermen and farmers transported hay (needed as winter fodder for their livestock) not only in carts but also across the water. The boats used to supply the spit inhabitants were stacked up high with hay and were a popular photo motif. Photo: Picture Archive East Prussia
Illustration:
Locomobile (portable engines) in Mattischkehmen (today Sowchosnoje) in north-eastern East Prussia, 1936
Technological innovations also found their way into rural areas – seed drills enabled economical sowing in parallel rows, steam engines replaced horses and oxen as driving forces, threshing boxes completed the grain threshing in a few weeks, which had previously taken many months of manual labour. Formerly permanent farm workers were partly replaced by seasonal ones. At first, however, it was only the estates that could afford large machines. Photo: Picture Archive East Prussia