One of the most successful enterprises of the Middle Ages was a collection of free cities located in northern Germany and along the north and Baltic seas.

These cities created one of the greatest trade networks the world had ever seen and for several centuries dominated trade and

economics in Northern Europe. It was the early prototype for successful trade

organizations which would occur in the future. Learn more about the Hansiatic League

also known as the Hansa, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. My personal story with the Hanseatic League dates back several years ago when I was traveling around northern Germany.

I was able to visit several of the Hansiatic League cities such as Lubeck, Strausland, Vizmar and Bremen.

I've been to many old European cities and I was able to see some things which hammered home

just how successful and important the Hansiatic League was.

But before I get to that story, let me explain what the Hansiatic League was the guild system. The guild system served several functions. Guild served to

restrict entry into occupations decreasing competition. They offered a social

network for members. It was a system for perpetuating technical knowledge, and perhaps most importantly,

it allowed them to band together to protect themselves against kings and nobility.

These guilds also engaged in trade with other towns and cities.

In northern Germany, these guilds were known as Hansa.

In particular for the purpose of this episode they were able to trade with a network of cities

and towns located around the north and Baltic seas. The founding of the Hansiatic

League began with the city of Lubec. Lubec was rebuilt in 1159 by Henry

the Lion who was the Duke of Saxon-I-N Bavaria.

Geographically, Lubeck is located on the Baltic Sea, right next to the eastern base of the Jutland

Peninsula where Denmark is located.

Lubeck became an important training port where goods from inland Germany, in particular

Saxony and Westphalia, could be traded to cities in Scandinavia and along the Baltic Sea.

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