| In the later Middle Ages there was an alliance of | | | | Westphalia could use Lubeck as a point to spread |
| trading guilds that controlled all of the business | | | | east and north. |
| over Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region. | | | | There had been guilds appearing in the Baltic area |
| This was the Hanseatic League. Hansa is a | | | | before the Hanseatic League. They had the |
| German term for "guilds. The Baltic Sea area had | | | | intention of trading with overseas areas that |
| always been the subject of piracy, raids and | | | | were ripe for trade and profit. At first the |
| unorganized trade but the scale of these ventures | | | | Swedish city of Visby was the central point for |
| never reached an international scope. | | | | guilds in the Baltic area. With an over abundance |
| The Hanseatic League changed all that. In 1158-59 | | | | of merchants joining the guilds, the German |
| the German town of Lubeck, now the second | | | | traders began to have their own trading stations. |
| largest city in northern Germany, was rebuilt by | | | | They eventually formed what were called Hanse |
| Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, after he had | | | | and began acquiring special trade privileges with |
| captured it from Adolf the Second of Holstein. | | | | royalty and other cities. The location of their main |
| This would one day be the cornerstone of the | | | | port of Lubeck gave them easy trade with Russia |
| league. | | | | and Scandinavia. The Hanseatic League was a |
| Henry the Lion was one of the most powerful | | | | result as Lubeck formed alliances with Hamburg, |
| princes in his time (b. 1129- d. 1195) and is known | | | | and other cities. The league was fluid and there |
| as the founder of Munich and Lubeck. Lubeck | | | | was no one "manager" of it. Over the years it |
| became a central point for all sea trade coming in | | | | wavered back and forth from 70 to 170 |
| and out of the Baltic and most of the cities | | | | members. The large league made it harder for |
| surrounding the Baltic Sea recognized this and | | | | any independent traders to get business in the |
| enjoyed their own success from joining into an | | | | areas of Northern Europe and the Baltic. Visby |
| alliance. This helped all German cities achieve a | | | | eventually succumbed and ended up in the |
| level of dominance in trade over that area, in the | | | | Hanseatic League itself. |
| 12th to 15th centuries. Traders from Saxony and | | | | |