The Economics of Straw and Reed in Fifteenth-Century Ostend and Nieuwpoort

Abstract

In the fifteenth century, communities along the Flemish coast purchased much more straw and reed than those inland. Dried grasses were essential commodities to manage the risks associated with the sea. Straw was crucial to strengthen the dikes and dunes, and reed was used in the lighthouses. The port cities Ostend and Nieuwpoort did not leave the grass market to chance, though they addressed the purchase of dried grasses in different ways. The fifteenth-century city accounts reveal a growing maturity in management and purchasing strategies through standardisation and the formalisation of market relationships. The increasing maturity in accessing the grass market by Ostend and Nieuwpoort contributed to the resilience of these two urbanised coastal communities, making them less vulnerable, as they were able to use the presence of the sea to their advantage.