A BRIEF HISTORY OF SZAFARNIA STREET
To get to grips with the history of Szafarnia Street, it is first of all vital to appreciate the meaning and significance of the word “Szafarz”. In centuries gone by, the function of a Szafarz, or “trade official” of the Teutonic Order, was to take care of stored goods and oversee both local and international trade. On Szafarnia Street, this trade official in fact stored religious goods.
In the 15th Century, when the harbour infrastructure continued to develop and Szafarnia established itself as a smoothly-operating transshipment hub, loading machines and granaries were built on an island called Szafarnia. Warehouses mostly held grain, salt, iron, anchors, timber and millstones. Cloths, spices and southern fruit were stored separately. The island also featured carpenter’s workshops.