History Extra podcast The Hanseatic League: everything you wanted to know
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Jan 12, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie, an expert on the Hanseatic League and economic history at Oxford, illuminates this medieval trading federation likening it to a crocodile that hid its true motives. She dives into its intimidation tactics against nation states and its influence on King Edward III. Revelatory insights also highlight the essential roles of women entrepreneurs like Margareta and Hildebrandt Weckenhusen. The complexities of the League's trade methods and its parliamentary-like diet reveal its lasting impact on European commerce.
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Hanseatic League Overview
- The Hanseatic League, or Hunza, was a loose network of long-distance traders operating for 500 years.
- It aimed to secure trading privileges, sometimes through questionable tactics.
Hanseatic League Geography
- Though called the "German Hansa," the league included traders from eight other modern-day countries.
- It primarily operated in the Baltic and North German regions, excluding Southern Germany.
League Formation
- The Hanseatic League arose organically due to the high risks of medieval trade, including banditry and piracy.
- Merchants formed Hansas to seek protection and gain advantageous trading privileges.