State of research into the history of the paper mill in Duszniki-Zdrój

Abstract

The article is devoted to the evolution of interest in the paper mill in Duszniki-Zdrój for over two centuries. The paper mill was established before 1562, when the Kłodzko region was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The mill played an important economic and cultural role for nearly three centuries. It stopped its operations during the great economic crisis and in 1939 was sold to the city of Duszniki. After the Second World War and incorporation of Silesia with the Kłodzko region into Poland, the mill was o fficially recognised as a historic building (listed in 1956) and in 1968 it was turned into the Museum of Papermaking. It 2011 the paper mill was granted the status of a Monument of History, which paved the way for it to be included in the UNESCO list.
Interest in the history of the mill dates back to at least the second half of the eighteenth century. In 1789 a detailed history of the mill was published in Beyträge zur Beschreibung von Schlesien by F.A. Zimmermann and a lot of the information included in it at the time still remains relevant. During the following century interest in the history of the mill was shown by J. Kögler and W. Hohaus, and in the early twentieth century — by F. Hössle or B. Maiwald. After the Second World War the history of the mill was studied by many Polish historians, including K. Maleczyńska, M. Kutzner, M. Przyłecki, K. Sarnecki and W. Tomaszewska.
The interest in the paper mill and its history has been boosted on an unprecedented scale over the recent decade, after eff orts were launched to have the mill entered in the UNESCO list. The paper mill has been studied by e.g. R. Eysymontt, A. Fortuna-Marek, G. Grajewski, A. Kozieł, R. Sachs, A. Szeląg, B. Szmygin, as well as J. Bałchan and M. Szymczyk, both of whom were associated with the museum. In 2018 the Museum of Papermaking published a Monograph of the Duszniki-Zdrój Paper Mill, which contains the latest fi ndings about the history of the paper mill and which will be used in the nomination for the mill to be included in the World Heritage List.