City and town – river – borderland

The aim of this chapter is to present the influence of rivers and the border on the socio-economic, political and everyday life of the border towns of Western Galicia, located along the Vistula and San rivers. The rivers and the state border had a significant impact on the fate and socio-economic situation of the towns. The rivers served as transport routes, and the transport of goods supported the development of local trade. On the Vistula, passenger and freight water transport developed, and on the San – rafting. However, it was railway that played a key role in the economic development of the towns. On the other hand, the Vistula and the San with their tributaries posed a flood risk. The Austro-Russian border region was characterised by smuggling and limited border traffic. Inhabitants of the Russian partition took part in religious and national festivities in the Galician border towns. The border location meant that these towns housed offices connected with border traffic and border security, such as customs and tax offices and gendarmerie posts.