Map of Hanza member citties and trade routes
In Ancient times the main traders in Europe were Romans. They maintained a sharp system of trade routes across their empire. Rome was filled with goods from East and West. After the breakdown of Roman Empire during the so-called “Dark Ages” full-scale trading in Europe was halted. In this time the masters of trade were Byzantines, Arabs, Persians and Chinese. However when European medieval states started to grow more stronger, European traders again begun to compete with their eastern rivals.
Before exploring the depths of Atlantic Ocean, Europeans sailed three main seas- the North Sea, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean sea. Mediterranean sea was an old trade route. In Ancient times it was the “Greek frog pond“, then it was fully owned by Romans. The heirs of Romans were Italian sailors, the Genoa and Venice was the main centers for trade. Constantinople was also important until it was taken by Turks. North and Baltic seas were less known to Greeks and Romans, few of their sources describes them, there even was expeditions made by Greeks and Romans. But since the shores of these seas were inhabited by less-civilized peoples they did not find them so tempting. So it was the British, Scandinavians and Germans who will make those seas a proper trade route.
One of the first German port was Lübeck. It was founded by Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony. Based on good position the city in 13. century became a base for merchants from Saxony and Westphalia. The word Hansa came from intention to form special guilds to trade with other cities. Lübeck was specially interested in Baltic region where resources such as timber, wax, amber, furs, etc came from. Rye and wheat was also important. Also the trade ships were important for Crusades because ships were used to transport troops to conflict ground.
The Holsten gate of Lubeck
Lübeck and Hamburg made alliance in 1241. marking the start of Hanse. It was based on cooperation between the cities and guilds to ease up trading and gain profit. Hanse was joined by Cologne and London. The main center of alliance was Lübeck, it was Imperial Free city which meant that it has vast possibilities than other German cities. The administration was Hansa Diet founded the 1356.
Because Russia was important trade source, Hansa moved to the east. Livonian cities, Riga, Venstpils, Cesis, Valmiera, Kuldiga, Limbaži and Straupe became the part of Hansa. Ventspils was important port in Courland, ships could sail across river Venta to Kuldiga. Ventspils never lost it port importance as now its port gains more profit than port of Riga. Kuldiga in other hand is no more used for ships.
The port of Ventspils
Riga as the biggest city was center for stock of all trade sources. Many Guilds worked there and it was the main trade spot in Livonia only to be countered by Tallin ( Reval). From Riga ships sailed to Koknese and from there the route ended in Smolensk, Vitebsk and Polock.
The port of Riga
Last trade route from Riga to Tallin (Reval) across the river Gauja was mostly on land and headed to Novgorod and Pskov. In Russian towns Hansa had kontors- trade offices.
14. century was “Golden age” for Hansa. It took the monopoly on trading in Northern seas. Hansa was so powerful that it could even wage war on sovereign country- Denmark. Destroying their fleet and sacking their cities Hansa used force to get full control over Scandinavia. However at the end of the century Hansa lost war to Dutch rival merchants and the Hansa monopoly was broken.
15. century is called the “Autumn of Medieval ages”. The economic crisis did not spared Hansa. As Crusader knight regimes was defeated and Novgorod was annexed by Russian Tzar Ivan III. The cities themselves begun to rival. Danzig (Gdansk) started to gain much more from Poland and became much larger than Lübeck. Polish government tried to take over Danzig, but were repulsed. But the Dutch sailors became even more dangerous for Hansa, as they aggressively competed with Hanse. They succeeded making Hansa more and more weaker.
In 16. century Hansa was no longer a key player. Swedish Empire was more powerful. Russia was no longer for trade business and because of centralization the cities no longer were so independent. Hansa could not make trade route to newly explored New World. The last formal meeting between the cities were held in 1699. The cities of Livonia did not took any part in them long before.
However the power of Hansa has not faded from historical memory. The word Hansa is used in names of ships, companies (Lufthansa), the Swedish bank Swedbank was called Hansabank in Latvia for many years. There is even a PC Game The Rise of Hansa where Riga is also included (however pretty badly as it is shown as Russian town wit Orthodox cathedrals). Hansa is symbol for the most active member towns, such as Riga. Riga is proud to be a former member of the Hanseatic League.
The logo of Hansa bakery.
