Hansa societies worked to acquire special trade privileges for their
members and their network of alliances formed throughout the
Holy Roman Empire grew to include around 170 cities. The
league established significant additional Kontors, or trading
centers, in present-day Belgium, Norway, Denmark and England,
trading in timber, furs, resin, flax, honey, wheat and rye, copper,
iron and herring. To be eligible to work at a Kontor, a merchant
had to be married, of good repute and commit himself to a year's
term. In these Hansa cities along the trade routes, a distinct
architecture formed, usually three storied structures with a store
on ground level, a warehouse on the second floor and an office/
apartment on the top floor. German colonists under the Hanse's
supervision built many Hanse towns in the Baltic such as Reval,
Riga, and Dorpat. They trained pilots and erected lighthouses.
members and their network of alliances formed throughout the
Holy Roman Empire grew to include around 170 cities. The
league established significant additional Kontors, or trading
centers, in present-day Belgium, Norway, Denmark and England,
trading in timber, furs, resin, flax, honey, wheat and rye, copper,
iron and herring. To be eligible to work at a Kontor, a merchant
had to be married, of good repute and commit himself to a year's
term. In these Hansa cities along the trade routes, a distinct
architecture formed, usually three storied structures with a store
on ground level, a warehouse on the second floor and an office/
apartment on the top floor. German colonists under the Hanse's
supervision built many Hanse towns in the Baltic such as Reval,
Riga, and Dorpat. They trained pilots and erected lighthouses.
Amsterdam merchants eventually won free access
to the Baltic and broke the Hansa monopoly in the
Dutch-Hanseatic War (1438 - 1441). Meanwhile, the
League had refused to offer reciprocal arrangements
to English traders and Queen Elizabeth I expelled the
League from London by 1597. There was also inter-
League tension and rivalry.
to the Baltic and broke the Hansa monopoly in the
Dutch-Hanseatic War (1438 - 1441). Meanwhile, the
League had refused to offer reciprocal arrangements
to English traders and Queen Elizabeth I expelled the
League from London by 1597. There was also inter-
League tension and rivalry.
| Die Hanse |
| Lübeck Hamburg Lüneburg Rostock Stade Stettin Stralsund Wismar Kiel Brunswick Braunschweig Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Erfurt Frankfurt (Oder) Goslar Halle (Saale) Magdeburg Danzig Breslau Dorpat Fellin Elbing Königsberg Reval Riga Stockholm Thorn Visby Kraków Duisburg Zwolle Hattem Hasselt Cologne Dortmund Soest Osnabrück Münster Roermond Deventer Groningen Kampen Bochum Recklinghausen Hamm Unna Zutphen Oldenzaal Breckerfeld Bergen-Bryggen Bruges/Brugge London Novgorod Antwerp Boston Damme Edinburgh Hull Ipswich King's Lynn Kaunas Newcastle Polotsk Pskov Great Yarmouth York Anklam Arnhem Bolsward Brandenburg Wenden Kulm Doesburg Duisburg Einbeck Göttingen Greifswald Goldingen Hafnarfjord Halle Harlingen Hannover Herford Hildesheim Hindeloopen Kalmar Kokenhusen Lemgo Merseburg Minden Münster Narwa Nijmegen Oldenzaal Paderborn Pernau Perleberg Quedlinburg Salzwedel Smolensk Stargard Stendal Turku Tver Wolmar Wesel Wiburg Windau Zutphen Zwolle |
| Hanseatic League Cities, Kontors, and cities with a Hanse presence: |
The League was sinking under the progress around it
and its decline began, further eroded by the chaos of
the Reformation, the new power of English and
Dutch merchants and the effects of the Ottoman
Turks on shipping routes. By the time of the last
Hansa meeting in 1669, only nine members attended.
Only Lübeck, Hamburg and Bremen remained as
members until its final demise in 1862.
and its decline began, further eroded by the chaos of
the Reformation, the new power of English and
Dutch merchants and the effects of the Ottoman
Turks on shipping routes. By the time of the last
Hansa meeting in 1669, only nine members attended.
Only Lübeck, Hamburg and Bremen remained as
members until its final demise in 1862.
Changes in European economy, emerging territories,
new forms of currency and different shipping
practises all put the League in a weaker position as
the Swedish Empire took control of much of the
Baltic, Denmark regained control over its own trade,
the Kontors in Novgorod and in Brugge were closed
or defunct, and the authority of the German princes
grew more powerful. Left: Lübeck, Hamburg
new forms of currency and different shipping
practises all put the League in a weaker position as
the Swedish Empire took control of much of the
Baltic, Denmark regained control over its own trade,
the Kontors in Novgorod and in Brugge were closed
or defunct, and the authority of the German princes
grew more powerful. Left: Lübeck, Hamburg
Lübeck and Hamburg formed an alliance in 1241, gaining control over most of the salt-fish trade and
access to salt-trade routes from Lüneburg. In 1266, the Hansa was granted a charter for operations in
England by Henry III. The Hanseatic League, or Die Hanse, took the place of Visby, the previous
center of trade and it became the center of all the sea trade that linked the areas around the North
Sea and the Baltic Sea and acted as a base for northern German merchants who spread east and
north. Lübeck and Hamburg were joined by Köln in 1282.
access to salt-trade routes from Lüneburg. In 1266, the Hansa was granted a charter for operations in
England by Henry III. The Hanseatic League, or Die Hanse, took the place of Visby, the previous
center of trade and it became the center of all the sea trade that linked the areas around the North
Sea and the Baltic Sea and acted as a base for northern German merchants who spread east and
north. Lübeck and Hamburg were joined by Köln in 1282.
Danzig Merchant
The league of merchant associations known as the Hanseatic
League was formed with the salt trade in mind. Salt produced
in Kiel was distributed via the "salt road" which ran between
Hamburg and Lübeck, inspiring the two northern towns to form
an alliance in the twelfth century. Fish was popular food in
Christian Europe with its religious fast days when meat eating
was forbidden. Lübeck had easy access to the herring spawning
grounds, but needed a better way to transport the perishable fish.
Hamburg lacked the better fishing grounds but had easy access to
the salt at Kiel, and salting and drying the herring made for longer
shelf life and consequently wider distribution of the fish.
Therefore, the merchants from both cities joined forces to open
trade along the "salt" road.
League was formed with the salt trade in mind. Salt produced
in Kiel was distributed via the "salt road" which ran between
Hamburg and Lübeck, inspiring the two northern towns to form
an alliance in the twelfth century. Fish was popular food in
Christian Europe with its religious fast days when meat eating
was forbidden. Lübeck had easy access to the herring spawning
grounds, but needed a better way to transport the perishable fish.
Hamburg lacked the better fishing grounds but had easy access to
the salt at Kiel, and salting and drying the herring made for longer
shelf life and consequently wider distribution of the fish.
Therefore, the merchants from both cities joined forces to open
trade along the "salt" road.
Its regional assemblies were known as "thirds": The Rhennish third was based on the Rhine trade, the
Wendish third on Baltic shipping out of Lübeck, and the Prussian third on the trade of grain from the
lands of the Teutonic Order. Lübeck, being a free imperial city, had an advantage over most of the
other cities politically, and geographically it also held a predominant position, with all Baltic trade in
either direction going through its port. Key towns such as Danzig and Riga were soon established on
the east Baltic coast under Lübeck law, which mandated that they had to obey the Lübeck city
council in all legal matters. Other important cities which became members of the Hanse included
Thorn, Elbing, Königsberg, and Krakow.
Wendish third on Baltic shipping out of Lübeck, and the Prussian third on the trade of grain from the
lands of the Teutonic Order. Lübeck, being a free imperial city, had an advantage over most of the
other cities politically, and geographically it also held a predominant position, with all Baltic trade in
either direction going through its port. Key towns such as Danzig and Riga were soon established on
the east Baltic coast under Lübeck law, which mandated that they had to obey the Lübeck city
council in all legal matters. Other important cities which became members of the Hanse included
Thorn, Elbing, Königsberg, and Krakow.
To accommodate the larger loads they could now sell, the merchants
developed the "Baltic cog", a rugged, flat bottom, square rigged ship,
and the merchants also formed partnerships to buy shares of a cargo
so that if the load was lost due to sinking or pirates, the loss could be
spread out and not be devastating to one party, and for protection and
safety, the ships sailed in large convoys. At their height of its power in
the late 1300s, the Hanseatic League wielded significant economic clout
and their well-armed ships could even influence Imperial policy. The
Hanse capital eventually moved to Danzig, the main port for traded
merchandise along the Vistula river. The Adler von Lübeck, right
developed the "Baltic cog", a rugged, flat bottom, square rigged ship,
and the merchants also formed partnerships to buy shares of a cargo
so that if the load was lost due to sinking or pirates, the loss could be
spread out and not be devastating to one party, and for protection and
safety, the ships sailed in large convoys. At their height of its power in
the late 1300s, the Hanseatic League wielded significant economic clout
and their well-armed ships could even influence Imperial policy. The
Hanse capital eventually moved to Danzig, the main port for traded
merchandise along the Vistula river. The Adler von Lübeck, right
The Hansa kept growing, and at the height of its power over sixty cities were
directly represented in the association, each with its own merchant association
and Diet, or parliament, to govern trade policies. Map of Hansa routes, left
directly represented in the association, each with its own merchant association
and Diet, or parliament, to govern trade policies. Map of Hansa routes, left