Hanseatic League is a commercial and political alliance formed between cities in northern Germany. Hanse (124 1) Lubeck-Hamburg Union.
Hanseatic League is a commercial and political alliance formed between cities in northern Germany. The word Hanse means "office" or "guild hall" in German. /kloc-was gradually formed in the 3rd century, and flourished in the 4th century, with at most 160 participating cities. 1367 A leading organization headed by Lubeck City was established, with the participation of wealthy businessmen and nobles from big cities such as Hamburg, Cologne and Bremen. Armed to the teeth 1370, defeated Denmark and concluded the Lacon Treaty. The alliance monopolized the trade in the Baltic region, and established commercial stations in the coastal areas from London in the west to Novgorod in the east, with strong strength. 15th century decline, 1669 disintegration.
Before the Hanseatic League appeared, Germany had two free market alliances-Rhine League and Schwaben League. Cities in the Rhine Valley formed an alliance with cities in the Schwaben region to defend local aristocrats from looting caravans and robbers. Soon, this city alliance developed into a mutually beneficial means. Member cities gave up collecting waterway and land tolls and settled their disputes through coordination. This kind of urban alliance is one of the manifestations of the political and economic awakening and influence of German citizens. However, the Rheinland Union and Svalbard Union were dissolved in the14th century.
The origin of Hanseatic League can be traced back to12nd century. Cologne, Lubeck, Hamburg and Bremen successively inherited the trade relations between Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Anglo-Saxon countries and Ireland before Norman Conquest due to their geographical convenience. Cologne businessmen obtained the privilege of trading in Britain and establishing overseas residences, and generously paid the ransom for Richard Lion's Heart, thus obtaining the tax-free concession in Britain. Since then, the king of England who succeeded to the throne has granted similar privileges to the merchants in Lubeck and Hamburg, and the merchants in these cities formed an early business alliance in Britain.
1158/159 Henry, the lion of Herzogtum Von Sachsen, seized the Holstein Gate in Lubeck from the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. Through this occupation, the economically prosperous kingdom of Saxony opened the passage to the Baltic Sea. Businessmen in Lower Germany soon took this as a base and extended their business activities to the whole Baltic region. Businessmen from Lubeck soon set up commercial stations in the Swedish city of Visby and the Russian city of Helmgard, and took control of the business in Riga on 1299. Because of the same race and interests, foreign German businessmen's groups began to unite and form a closer alliance to reduce competition. 12 10, Lubeck and Hamburg agreed to use the same civil law and criminal law in some matters to protect each other's businessmen in this city, which can be regarded as the beginning of the Hanseatic League. 124 1 year, the two cities formed a formal alliance to protect their businessmen from robbers and pirates. 1259, Lubeck, Rostock and Wisma formed a similar alliance to suppress pirates. By 1282, when the Hanseatic League in London and Bruges merged with the Hanseatic League in Lubeck and Hamburg into a single cooperative group, the Hanseatic League had been formed as far as the four major commercial cities in North Germany were concerned.
Holstein Gate in Lubeck
After the establishment of the Hanseatic League in Holstein, Lubeck, its purpose quickly changed from suppressing pirates, cracking down on looting and abolishing unreasonable tolls to expanding commercial power overseas, monopolizing commercial interests and suppressing commercial competition from German cities outside the League and from Britain, Russia and Flanders. By 1300, all German Ports cities along the Baltic Sea had joined the Hanseatic League, from Bremen at the mouth of the Weize River to Danzig at the mouth of the Weise River. Towns in Prussia and Livonia soon joined the alliance. By 1356, when the first Hanseatic League Congress was held in Lubeck, its members had increased to 52. The main trade commodities of Hanseatic League are salt, herring, bacon, grain, alcohol, woolen cloth, wool, fur, livestock, plant ash, whale oil, wood, hemp, resin, beeswax, bow material, barrel board, iron, copper, tin and metal products, which link the origin of raw materials with the origin of finished products. With the expansion of military threats from Denmark in the north and Brandenburg in the south, the Hanseatic League began to form a navy and evolved from a simple economic alliance to an economic-political-military alliance. Many cities join the alliance for commercial interests or security. After joining the alliance, it can be protected so that commercial litigation is not under the jurisdiction of feudal courts. Any city that arrests members of the alliance, violates its promises to the alliance, or sells stolen goods from Hanseatic League merchants will be resisted by the Hanseatic League. The citizens of a Hanseatic city can get a fair trial in other Hanseatic cities, and if they are harassed, they can turn to any city for help. In the market of the alliance, it is forbidden for any businessmen who are not members of the alliance to trade with each other. The conditions for joining the Hanseatic League are harsh, and cities that are not located in coastal areas or on both sides of navigable rivers or have no autonomy have no right to join the Hanseatic League. The application for membership is usually sent to Lubeck, which is considered by the Union Parliament and decided to accept or reject its membership. Because of the different wealth, location and importance of each city, the conditions for joining the alliance and the fees paid by each city are also different, which leads to the inequality among the member cities in the alliance. In addition, individual businessmen or business groups (such as Britain, Spain and France) living outside the sphere of influence of the alliance can also apply to the Hanseatic League for alliance privileges. According to the laws of the Hanseatic League, no member of the Hanseatic League can participate in the war without the consent of the four neighboring Hanseatic cities. Some cities were expelled because they refused to fulfill their obligations as members of the alliance, or violated some rules and practices of the alliance. Some cities voluntarily withdrew from the alliance because they did not want to bear the cost of participating in the Hanseatic Parliament. Businessmen from expelled cities will lose their privileges in Hanseatic City and be arrested, and their goods will be confiscated.
Hanseatic league motto above Holstein gate
The slogan of the Hanseatic League is "internal unity and foreign peace" (Latin: "CONCORDIADOMI, FORISPAX"). As far as its political nature is concerned, the Hanseatic League is only a loose city alliance, not an alliance country. The alliance has no roster of members, no defense policy, no laws binding on all member cities, and no war in which all members of the alliance participate. Theoretically, the League holds a catering meeting in Lubeck every three years, and the opening date is usually around Easter, which is called "Hansetag". However, in practice, the number of meetings is decreasing year by year. From 1363 to 1550, a total of 53 councils were held, 34 in the first 37 years, 12 in the second 60 years and only 7 in the last 40 years. Some poor cities unable to attend the meeting entrusted other cities to attend on their behalf. If they fail to send representatives three times, they will be expelled from the union. The contents of the Hanseatic Conference mainly include reviewing the applications submitted by cities that do not attend the Conference; Discussion on the problem of foreign Hanseatic trading post: declare war and conclude a contract; Protecting land and sea roads; Opening up new commercial radio stations; Ruling on currency exchange and weights and measures; Dealing with unsalable goods; Solve related money problems; Listen to the complaints of Hanseatic businessmen about their treatment, and issue warnings and exhortations to cities and businessmen who do not abide by the Covenant.
By the middle of14th century, the Hanseatic League had expanded to all German Ports cities on the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, as well as Britain, Flanders, Denmark, Scandinavia, Russia, Finland and other places. German colonists on the east coast of the Baltic Sea established a large number of Hanseatic cities according to strict Hanseatic laws. The Hanseatic merchant ship "Lisa von Lubeck" resumed 1999. With the activities of Hanseatic merchants, monarchies in northern and western Europe gained huge commercial benefits after establishing commercial relations with Hanseatic League. Most of these countries' economies are based on manor system, with single products and low production efficiency. After the entry of Hanseatic League, the raw materials produced in China can be sold in foreign markets at higher prices, and at the same time, foreign imported products with better quality can be obtained. The import and export taxes of Hanseatic merchants provide a stable and reliable source of income for the national treasury, so countries have welcomed Hanseatic League to set up commercial stations in their own countries. These commercial stations integrate markets, merchants' houses and offices, arbitration offices, workshops, workshops and warehouses, and are equipped with defensive facilities, which are guarded day and night to prevent local people from attacking. The early main trading post was located in Visby, Gotland, Sweden, and was attacked by Denmark, which triggered the war between Hanseatic League and Denmark. Subsequently, four Hanseatic League commercial stations appeared in London, Bruges, Flanders, Bergen, Norway and Novgorod, Russia. London Commercial Station, also known as "Steel Yard/de: Stapelhof" (the origin of this name is controversial. One view is that it originated from the misinformation of the German word "warehouse", and the other view is that steel ingots and billets from Germany are sold here). Founded in 1282, surrounded by high walls, it has its own pier and main building. Hanseatic League has business representatives in various commercial stations, and they are all married businessmen with good reputation. Women are strictly forbidden to enter the business station. In addition to the four major commercial stations, Hanseatic League also has commercial offices and accounting offices in other foreign cities (such as wool producing areas in Britain). The Hanseatic League reached its peak in the late14th century and early15th century. Although its trading posts are limited to the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and Russia, its merchant ships are as far away as France, Spain and Portugal, bringing olive oil, fruits, various wines and salts from southern Europe. Its registered merchant ships are as many as 1000 to 2,000 tons, and Hanseatic merchants obtained one concession after another by providing loans to feudal lords of the Holy Roman Empire and monarchs of other countries. In its heyday, the Hanseatic League dominated the candidates for the throne of Denmark and Sweden, and the king of England even mortgaged the crown to Hanseatic merchants for loans more than once, or borrowed its central fleet and sailors. The Hanseatic League has accumulated a lot of wealth and won the respect of all countries by virtue of commerce and force.
The Hanseatic League showed signs of decline at the beginning of Lubeck City Hall15th century. It has made huge profits through commercial means, but it has not given back to the society, which is also the difference between it and the modern commercial world. Due to the long-term emphasis on the principle of "only buying from the cheapest area", the local agriculture and handicrafts of Hanseatic League have not developed. With the rise of mercantilism and protectionism adopted by the Hanseatic League in other countries, the Hanseatic League began to encounter competition from its rivals. Hanseatic merchants who enjoyed privileges and immunities began to be hated by their own businessmen. British and Dutch businessmen began to bypass the Hanseatic League and establish direct commercial ties with northern Europe and Russia, which posed a serious threat to the business of the Hanseatic League. In Britain, inspired by the Hanseatic League, Edward III gradually developed the idea of competing with it, from a pure wool export place to a woolen cloth manufacturing place. He recruited textile workers directly from Flanders and established Britain's own wool spinning industry. The outbreak of wars of the roses kept the Hanseatic League's privilege in Britain for a period of time. In henry vii's time, Britain began to prohibit the direct export of precious metals, and asked Hanseatic League merchants to use the profits to buy British products. By the time of Elizabeth I, the Hanseatic League had been deprived of commercial privileges in Britain for more than 300 years. Elizabeth I believed that the shipping power of Hanseatic League was in direct competition with cinque ports, and cinque ports had long been the source of warships and the backing of British navy. 1598 65438+1October 13, Elizabeth I ordered the arrest of 60 Hanseatic merchant ships trading with Spain, the enemy of Britain. Hanseatic businessmen held a meeting in Lubeck to take concerted action to crack down on British export trade. When Elizabeth learned the news, she confiscated all Hanseatic ships and their cargo in Britain and closed the London trading post. Later, she declared that she was "extremely contemptuous of the Hanseatic League and all its actions", which declared the final end of the commercial exchanges between the Hanseatic League and Britain that lasted for more than 300 years. In Flanders, the powerful Principality of Burgundy in15th century and the United Province of the Netherlands, which rose in16th century, threatened the Hanseatic League by building Antwerp Port and encouraging pirate attacks. 145 1 year, Hanseatic merchants abandoned Bruges and moved to Antwerp. With its superior geographical position and numerous port and river conditions, the Netherlands has replaced the position of "sea coachman" in the Hanseatic League merchant fleet and monopolized the commercial shipping in Western Europe. In addition, after the herring fishing ground was transferred from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea in the15th century, Lubeck suffered huge losses, while the Netherlands became rich. 1593, the Antwerp trading post closed, announcing the end of Hanseatic League activities in Flanders. In Sweden and Denmark, the influence of the Hanseatic League was severely weakened by the establishment of the Kalmar Alliance in 1397. Queen Margaret I of Denmark forced the Hanseatic League to give up direct political control over Denmark, hand over the fortress occupied by the League and abolish the tax levied by the League on Danish territory. She also supported pirates to launch attacks on Hanseatic merchant ships. The Hanseatic League supported the rebellion in Sweden, but King Gustav Vasa of Sweden broke off relations with Lubeck as soon as he ascended the throne. In the eastern Baltic Sea, the Teutonic Order, the traditional ally of the Hanseatic League, began to decline from 15 to 16 century. Russia and Poland took this opportunity to take measures that harmed the interests of the Hanseatic League. 1478, Russian czar Ivan III of Russia occupied Novgorod and expelled all Hanseatic merchants. Within the Hanseatic League, because the League itself is a loose alliance composed of many cities, its members regard their own interests as higher than the big interests of the League. Facing the complicated threats of interests, internal differences begin to appear, and some member cities try to gain dominance by harming the interests of other cities. Cologne colluded with Britain to replace Lubeck, and Hamburg also tried to take advantage of the dispute between Lubeck and Denmark. In addition, Germany has been the battlefield of international wars for many times since17th century. In the Thirty Years' War, Germany experienced another high degree of destruction, and the population and livestock decreased sharply, which dealt a heavy blow to the economic base of the Hanseatic League. 1669, the last Hanseatic League Congress was held in Lubeck. Cities such as Rostock, Brunswick, Cologne, Hamburg and Bremen all sent representatives to participate, but by this time the alliance had existed in name only. After the meeting, many cities announced their secession from the Hanseatic League, leaving only Lubeck, Hamburg and Bremen as "FreiundHansestadt". The Napoleonic Wars brought the final blow to the Hanseatic League. Merchant ships in Hamburg, Lubeck and Bremen were wiped out by the British navy that blocked the European continent, and Lubeck declined completely. Hamburg and Bremen gained a new position as commercial centers in the19th century with the help of the rise of the new German Empire. 1937, in retaliation for Lubeck's early ban on his campaign speeches, Hitler cancelled Lubeck's title of "Hanseatic Free City" and merged it into Big Hamburg.
The specific number of Hanseatic League cities often changes, usually between 70 and 80. The authorities of the Hanseatic League never disclosed the exact number of its members at any time, but according to the book Economic and Social History in the Late Middle Ages, the number of cities included in the whole history of the Hanseatic League was determined to be 96. According to statistics, some historians believe that the number of cities participating in the Hanseatic League is 155. Most of the cities listed below are major cities that have participated in Hanseatic League activities for a long time. However, in order to reflect the regional nature of the Hanseatic League, some cities that only participate in the activities of the Hanseatic League for a short time, but have a Hanseatic League merchant community in the city for a long time and pay taxes to the Hanseatic League are also listed.