Latest / The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History
The Hanseatic League: Germany's Medieval Trade Empire
Before Bismarck, before the Reich, a different kind of German power ruled the Baltic and North Seas: the Hanseatic League. This episode explores how a loose federation of merchant cities like Lübeck, Hamburg, and Bremen built a commercial empire stretching from Novgorod to London. We delve into the kontors—trading posts that were almost states within states—the herring and salt trades that fueled it all, and the League's military conflicts, including its war with Denmark. Lucas and Luna discuss why the Hansa declined as territorial states rose, and how its legacy still echoes in modern…
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