What does "old hanseatic town" mean when describing a small village in germany?

Question

I've never heard of that term before...just wondering. Thanks!

Answer 1

Main Entry: Han·sa

Function: noun

Pronunciation: 'han(t)-s&, 'hän-(")zä

Variants: or Hanse/'han(t)s, 'hän-z&/

Etymology: Hansa from Medieval Latin, from Middle Low German hanse; Hanse from Middle English Hanze, from Middle French hanse, from Middle Low German

1 : a league originally constituted of merchants of various free German cities dealing abroad in the medieval period and later of the cities themselves and organized to secure greater safety and privileges in trading

2 : a medieval merchant guild or trading association

- Han·se·at·ic/"han(t)-se-'a-tik/ noun or adjective

Answer 2

It refers to a town or region once occupied by members of the Hanseatic League - see below.

The Hanseatic League (Dutch: de Hanze, Estonian: hansa, German: die Hanse, Polish: Hanza, Swedish: Hansan) comprised an alliance of trading guilds that established and maintained a trade monopoly over the Baltic Sea and most of Northern Europe for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, between the 13th and 17th centuries.

Answer 3

Bremen, Demmin, Greifswald, Hamburg, Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund and Wismar are the "Hansestädte" in Germany which means that the cities history has to do with the Hanseatic Legue

Answer 4

They were cities which had special sovereign and trade priviledges which normal cities did not. Interesting Lufhtansa took part of her name from that idea.

Chris,

Bonn