Hanseatic League
Photo: 1970gemini, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse) was an alliance of cities, mostly de facto independent city states in central and northern Europe, in the medieval and early modern era. Most of those cities are situated at or close to the Baltic Sea, but trade contacts were also established to the North Sea and far inland.
UnderstandThe Hanseatic League originated in the High Middle Ages as an association of low German merchants who lived, worked and traded in several cities mostly along the Baltic Coast.
Notable membersThe Netherlands, though small, had a large role in the Hansa, especially given its wealth at the time. The cities listed below still advertise themselves as Hansestad:
"Hanse" events todayMost of the cities that have a claim of Hanseatic heritage are now members of the "new Hanse" and as such they hold Hanseatic days of New time.
MuseumsMuseums in several other cities also often have a focus on the hanseatic history of the city if and where that was important.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Hanseatic League" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: 1970gemini, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons