Hanseatforbundet

The Hanseatforbundet, often translated as the Hanseatic League, was a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. It dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe from the 13th to the 17th centuries. The League was established in the medieval period to protect the economic interests of its members, particularly in overseas trade. It comprised towns from modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the Baltic states, and Scandinavia.

Key cities within the Hanseatic League included Lübeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Danzig (Gdańsk), and Bergen. The League's primary activities involved controlling trade routes, establishing trading posts (kontors) in foreign cities, and defending its members from piracy and rivals. They traded in goods such as grain, timber, furs, wax, salt, and textiles. The Hanseatic League operated with a complex system of rules and regulations, and its cities held regular assemblies (Hansetage) to make decisions.

The League's influence peaked in the 14th and 15th centuries. However, by the late 16th century, the rise of nation-states, shifting trade patterns, and internal divisions began to weaken its power. The Hanseatic League gradually dissolved, with its last formal assembly held in 1669. Despite its decline, the legacy of the Hanseatic League can be seen in the economic development and urban planning of many Northern European cities.