Hanseatic League

During the late 15th century, the trading towns of Northern Germany wanted to encourage the growth of trading routes, and therefore their profits. Over the course of centuries, an alliance grew between cities in Northern Germany. In 1356, the cities put an official name to their alliance, becoming known as the Hanseatic League.

Hanseatic League Definition

The Hanseatic League was a trading association or guild, that was founded in 1356 and primarily centered in Northern Germany, but spread all the way across to England and into Scandinavia.

The majority of land and towns were under the control of feudal lords during the Medieval Period. However, the practice of feudalism began to fade as mercantilism became the main source of income. This made it an opportune time for cities to focus on their trade.

The League slowly began to form over the course of the 13th century, beginning with a loose alliance between cities that agreed that they would come to each other's aid if they were ever attacked. It was not until the 1350s that the cities decided that having a structure in place, with clear rules and authority, would be beneficial. This led to the official founding of the Hanseatic League in 1356.

The Hanseatic League became an important player in the trading of raw materials such as wax, timber, and pitch. They also heavily traded foods such as grains and fish. In return, their trading brought in goods like textiles and spices from all over the world to the population in Northern Germany. The Hanseatic League was foremost a trading company, but like many other trading companies, they also traded cultures with the regions that traded with.

Hanseatic League Map

The Hanseatic League was made up of cities in Northern Europe, primarily Germany, and in Southern Scandinavia. The geographical location of the Hansa cities was no coincidence; the cities belonging to the Hanseatic League, also called Hansa cities, were all located strategically close to a port from which their ships could easily reach.

Fig. 1 A map highlighting locations of the Hanseatic League.

The majority of the Hansa cities bordered either the Baltic or the North Sea, which was the main route that the traders would use to travel. Along these seas were port cities surrounded by land that were rich in resources in high demand across the trading towns.

Hanseatic League Cities

Lübeck

Perhaps the most important and influential city related to the Hanseatic League was Lübeck, a Free Imperial City and one of the first German towns located along the Baltic sea to emerge. Lübeck later became the Queen City of the Hanseatic League. In the mid-13th century, Lübeck attempted to centralize power from the city, creating treaties that would band the Hanseatic cities more closely together through military and economic ties.

Fig 2. A view of modern-day Lübeck.

German settlers who were emboldened by their success in Lübeck pushed into these cities along the Black Sea. Rostock, Wismar, and Riga were founded as Hanseatic towns. The cities themselves were free and held their own separate governments and societies, but they were bound to certain rules and expectations of the League.

Bremen and Hamburg

Other Free Imperial Cities included Bremen and Hamburg. As Free Imperial Cities, they possessed more autonomy and could join the Hanseatic League. However, even if cities were not Free Imperial Cities, they were not excluded from joining the League. Cities still under the control of a ruler could set up a kontor.

Setting up a kontor meant that a city could not officially join the League as they were under the rule of a monarch. Nonetheless, these cities could have a trading outpost that was associated with the League, giving them access to the perks of being a Hansa city.

Fig 3. The seal of the Hanseatic League.¹

Forces of the Hanseatic League

Even before the Hanseatic League was officially founded, in 1262 three cities signed an agreement to fight piracy that threatened their trade along the Baltic Sea. In many ways, this anticipated the future agreement of the League, which outlined the purpose of the League as not only a trading and economic alliance but also a military one.

While the members of the Hanseatic League could band together to protect their interests, by military force or by economic influence, every member of the League could not be held responsible for the actions of another member. However, it was very likely that an attack on one member of the League would lead the rest of the Hansa cities to come to their aid.

The Hanseatic League met at the Hansetag, a meeting convened to make decisions about trading rules and tasked with consolidating the various needs of different cities.

Fig. 4: A painting depicting the formation of the Hanseatic League.

Hanseatic League significance

The Hanseatic League was an important player in how trade and economic policies developed in Europe during the 14th century.

The League brought trade to many European cities. Its network was a critical way to link cities across the continent. They became the most influential power on the trading culture in Northern Europe during the Renaissance. Some cities, like Hamburg, endure as prominent international trading hubs.