The sea was a site for trade, transport and warfare between countries and kingdoms, and its control was thus significant in the shifting dynamics of the region. Merchants and mercenaries formed guilds to better serve their purposes, aligning themselves upon occasion with various allies for mutual benefits.
At the height of its power, the Hanseatic League controlled trade in the North and Baltic seas, and comprised a network of more than 200 towns extending from the United Kingdom to Russia.
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League (Hansa = crowd or band) originated in northern Germany in the 12th century, borne out of a desire between various towns to improve maritime trade and commerce, and also guard their vessels from pirates. It grew into an arrangement of mutually beneficial trade route privileges, shared economic interests, and even political connections. Favoured vessels included cogs in mediaeval times, and later, hulks and carvels; the language of communication was primarily German.[[1]]
At the height of its power, the Hanseatic League controlled trade in the North and Baltic seas, and comprised a network of more than 200 towns extending from the United Kingdom to Russia. Despite its influence and confidence – it involved itself in more than one war – it did not have a single administration controlling it, nor a military. In 1361, the Hansa offered to help Norway's King Magnus but was rejected; two years later, it aligned with Albert of Mecklenberg and helped him take Scania and Stockholm from King Magnus, resulting in the latter's imprisonment.[[2]]
The League was a force to be reckoned with, and was recognised by several kingdoms. One of these was Denmark, which signed and reinforced a Denmark-Hansa Treaty in 1370 and 1376.[[3]]
Fig. 2 Margareta, 1353-1412, drottning av Danmark, Norge och Sverige, date unknown, oil on canvas. Image by Nationalmuseum (PDM). Fig 3 Theodor Fischer (1817–1873), Albrecht III von Mecklenburg, 17th century, oil on canvas. Image by Wolfgang Sauber.
Guild of the Victual Brothers
In the 1390s, a brotherhood of privateers – private vessel owners that use their ships in maritime warfare – was formed, calling itself the Victual or Vitalian Brothers (Vitalienbrüder in German). Their first mission came in 1392 from Albert of Mecklenburg, former king of Sweden who had been imprisoned by Queen Margaret I. He hired them to supply provisions, or victuals, to Stockholm via sea. They initially enjoyed the support of the Hanseatic League, except for its main headquarters in Lübeck.
However, soon the assignment from Albert soon turned into warfare against Denmark. The guild also transformed into one of piracy and plunder, ransacking, conquering and occupying various towns including Bergen, Malmo and Turku. In 1394, they managed to take Gotland in Sweden for Albert, establishing themselves in Visby – a strategic post. Albert was subsequently captured and imprisoned by Queen Margaret's forces.
Between 1395 and 1398, a consortium of seven Hanseatic League towns ruled Stockholm.
Intersections and interventions
The Hanseatic League stepped in as a mediator in 1395. The deal for the release of Albert included a fine of 60,000 silver marks to be paid within three years, failing which he would be re-arrested or required to relinquish Stockholm. Between 1395 and 1398, a consortium of seven Hanseatic League towns ruled Stockholm, but ultimately gave it up to Queen Margaret.
The same year, the Victual Brothers were driven out of Visby by the forces of the Teutonic Order. Their reign was relatively short-lived, though even after their expulsion, they had enough influence in the Baltic Sea to keep the Hanseatic League from dominating. They disbanded by 1440 and rebranded to the name Likedeelers (equal sharers), sharing their spoils with the general population.
The Hanseatic League endured longer. They participated in further wars, implemented blockades against the enemies of their allies, and notably, attacked and restricted Sweden several times[[4]]. In 1505, they fell out of favour in Sweden permanently, and were asked to cease trade. With a gradually weakening status, there was more infighting, and the opening of trade routes in the Atlantic Ocean changed the way things were done.
After suffering heavy losses in the Thirty Years’ War, the Hanseatic League petered out after a final, unsuccessful meeting in 1669, having been influential for over four centuries. Efforts to revive “the common heritage of the Hanseatic era” led to the creation of a voluntary association of cities, stylised as THE HANSA.
According to economist Jens Tholstrup, “I think [the Hanseatic League] created a network and developed prosperity at a time when the Baltic was a pretty bleak place. So the transformation they helped to generate was the origin of the prosperity of northwestern Europe. [...] It was about freedom to trade rather than free trade, and I think that is an important element of how the EU developed.”[[5]]
[[1]]: More specifically Middle Low German, which in turn influenced other languages spoken in the regions.
[[2]]: Ken Polsson, "Chronology of Sweden," 2000-2023, http://kpolsson.com/sweden/
[[3]]: The 1376 version removed a clause that gave the Hansa a veto over the choice of monarch.
[[4]]: They imposed a blockade in 1426 during the war against Holstein; and joined Denmark in attacking Sweden in 1451.
[[5]]: Chris Morris, “Hanseatic League: The first European Union?”, BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/A2MFANtn3Z/hanseatic_league
