page_title: Mill Island in Bydgoszcz
section_title: Old Polish Period (until the mid-18th century)
hierarchical_section_title: Mill Island in Bydgoszcz / History / Old Polish Period (until the mid-18th century)
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Rekonstrukcja planu Bydgoszczy z XVI-XVII w.
context_page_description: Mill Island is a historic area located in the Old Town of Bydgoszcz, covering approximately 6.5 ha: today it is a place with cultural and recreational facilities, surrounded by the Brda river and its branch. The island received the 2012 Certificate for Best Tourist Attraction from the Polish Tourist Organisation.
context_section_description: For several centuries, the Mill Island was part of royal domain, hence its old Polish name "Royal Island" (Wyspa Królewska), or sometimes "Okole".
  Actual name Mill Island comes from several mills that were built on the island since the 14th century, which gained a peak of activityin the 19th century.
  In the Middle Ages, first mills appeared on the eastern part of the island. At the end of the 14th century, for economical and military defense purposes, water network in the western Old Town was improved, so as to take advantage of Brda river first weir, Jaz Farny (literally "Parish weir"), has been created, along with a lock and a navigable channel which is today the actual riverbed of Brda river.
  Around 1400, opposite Bydgoszcz Cathedral has been built the mill of the church (młyn kościelny). At the time, royal mills belonging to Bydgoszcz starosta, were standing at the junction of the "Międzywodzie kanal" and the leat channel. In 1541, several large five-wheel driven mills and a sawmill were working on the island. In addition to corn and malt mills, there were also fulling mills for wool cleansing and leather tanning.
  The western Island, less built, was occupied by gardens.
  In 1594, on the eastern island has been established the Bydgoszcz Mint, propriety of king Sigismund III Vasa. His favoutite, Stanisław Cikowski, opened there a private mint, which turned into a royal mint in the early 17th century.
caption: Estimated footprint of Bydgoszcz in 16th century
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