In its heyday, due to its powerful position, the Hanseatic League was able to assert its economic interests by imposing economic blockades against kingdoms and principalities or via military means. From the 13th until the middle of the 15th century the Hanseatic League controlled a large part of northern Europe’s long-distance trade. The traders supplied western and central Europe with luxury goods, food and raw materials from northern and eastern Europe, e.g. furs, wax, cereals, fish, flax, hemp and timber.
At the same time they brought the commercially finished products from the west and the south into the countries of northern and eastern Europe, e.g. cloth, metal goods, weapons and spices. The cityscape of the Hanse atic League is characterised by a strong architectural uniformity and regular structuring. The market held an important function, a central role, as a meeting and a focal point. The buildings in the coastal towns of the Hanseatic League were usually built from deep red to light yellow bricks. Different gables and facades produced houses with an individual design.
In the 16th and 17th centuries the national trading community, in spite of enormous increases in trade, had to fight competition in the form of the emerging national and territorial endeavours. It increasingly continued to lose more importance in the time that followed. In Luebeck the last Hanseatic day took place in the year 1669.
Luebeck: Luebeck was the former head of the Hanseatic League, its ascent was owed primarily to its outstanding geographical position for transport. The ships coming from the Baltic Sea could travel across the Trave River into the town port.
The Holsten Gate with its two towers forms part of the medieval town’s fortification and has been its landmark since 1478.
Wismar: The beautiful medieval towns cape, which to a large extent was able to be preserved, continues to elate visitors from all over the world. The market place with its impressive historical buildings, has always served as a meeting and focal point of the town.
Rostock: Important city of the Hanseatic League; the impressive brick fronts, the gable houses and mighty churches in the town centre still stand witness today of the former wealth of the traders.
Stralsund: The Hanseatic town today belongs to UNESCO world cultural heritage. Restored town houses and impressive brick churches as well as the uniqueness of the entire town form part of the valuable reference points to the Hanseatic time.
