A history of the Hanseatic League normally begins with the story of the foundation, destruction and refoundation of Lübeck. This series will not do that. For once, we already had a whole episode of the Foundation of Lübeck. If you want to check it out, look for episode 105 of the History of the Germans Podcast.

But more importantly, the foundation of Lübeck, is still just the foundation of a city. Do not get me wrong, Lübeck is a stunning city and its Rathaus and the magnificent churches, including the astounding Marienkirche tell us about the wealth and the civic pride of its inhabitants. But then, Burges is an even more astounding merchant city, as are Antwerp, Amsterdam, not to speak of Florence or Venice.

What I mean is that if Lübeck, Bremen, Hamburg, Gdansk and Riga had just been successful trading cities in the Middle Ages, the cities of Bergen, Novgorod and King’s Lynn would not still remind everyone of their old business relationship.

It isn’t the size and beauty of its cities that that makes the Hanseatic League special, it is the way they co-operated. And that does not begin with the foundation of Lübeck, but with something that happened shortly after the foundation of Lübeck, in 1161.

Key Takeaways:

• The Hanseatic League's significance lies in cooperation among cities, not merely their beauty.
• The concept of mutual trust was crucial for the success of the Hanseatic merchants.
• Gotlanders were vital to the trade network, providing safe passage and local knowledge.
• The establishment of trading yards in Novgorod fostered a unique German-Scandinavian partnership.
• Merchants in the 12th century were part trader, part adventurer, navigating dangerous waters.
• The Treaty of Adlenburg marked a pivotal moment in fostering trade relations.

Chapters:

• 00:07 - Introduction to the Hanseatic League
• 00:16 - The Significance of King's Lynn
• 00:26 - The Hanseatic Heritage in Germany and Beyond
• 04:37 - The Nature of 12th Century Merchants
• 09:50 - The Treaty of Adlenburg and Merchant Safety
• 08:12 - The Role of Gotland in Trade
• 25:42 - The Establishment of the Kontor in Novgorod
• 34:21 - Mutual Trust and Economic Success
• 35:00 - Conclusion and Upcoming Topics

The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau (Michel Rondeau)

As always:

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