HANSEATIC LEAGUE • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Hanseatic League

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/hˌænsiˈætɪk lig/ Listen

Hanseatic League

noun

A commercial and defensive confederation of free cities in northern Germany and surrounding areas; formed in 1241 and most influential in the 14th century when it included over 100 towns and functioned as an independent political power; the last official assembly was held in 1669.

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Etymology of 'Hanseatic League'

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"Hanseatic League" Quotes from Famous Books

... Interregnum" in German history. There was no emperor, no authority, and every little lord fought and robbed as he pleased. The cities, driven to desperation, raised armed forces of their own and united in leagues, which later developed into the great Hanseatic League, more powerful than neighboring kings.[17] The anarchy spread to Italy. Bands of "Free Companies" roamed from place to place, plundering, fighting battles, storming walled cities, and at last the Pope sent thoroughly frightened word to Germany that the lords must elect an emperor ...

— The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume VI. • Various

... Such a settlement was, no doubt, permitted from very early times. But in the year 1169 was founded a trade association which, for wealth, success, and importance, might compare with our East India Company. This was the Hanseatic League (so called from the word Hansa, a convention). In the League were confederated: first, twelve towns in the Baltic, Luebeck at the head; next, sixty-four—and even eighty—German towns. They were first associated for protection ...

— The History of London • Walter Besant

... this great house—the site itself now entirely covered by the railway—was the Steelyard. This was the centre of the German trade; here the merchants of the Hanseatic League were permitted to dwell and to store the goods which they imported. The history of the German merchants in London is a very important chapter in that of London. They came here in the year 1250, they formed a fraternity of their own, living together, by Royal permission, ...

— As We Are and As We May Be • Sir Walter Besant

Words linked to "Hanseatic League" : City of Bridges, Koln, Lubeck, Bruges, confederacy, Rostock, cologne, Gdansk, Danzig, Riga, Hamburg, Memel, Bremen, Dortmund, Hannover, Hanover, Halle-an-der-Saale, Halle, federation, Klaipeda, Tartu, confederation, Bergen, capital of Latvia