Hanse

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

* Hanse-Towns, certain Towns of Germany, consociated for the benefit of Trade, and enjoying great Privileges. Some say, that they were so called from the Word Hanse, signifying Alliance; and others, from An-Ze, which signifies upon the Sea; because the first Towns that entred into that Society, were Seated near the Baltick. The City of Bremen, in the Lower Saxony, is said to have been the Founder of this Confederacy, about the Year 1164, to encourage the Trade, which it, and many other Maritime Towns, drove in Livonia. How many Associated at first, is not certainly known: But the Design did so visibly prosper, that many In-land Cities, and some of no great Trading, joined with 'em in a League, for their common Defence and Preservation. And at last it grew to that heighth, that most of the Chief Places of Trade in Europe, entred into the Confederacy. As, in the Low-Countrie•: Antwerp, Dort, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Bruges, Ostend and Dunkirk. In France; Calais, R•uen, St. Malo, ••urdeaux, Bayonne and •a•scille. In Spain: Barcelona, Sevil and Cadiz. In Portugal: Lisbon. In Italy: Leghorn, Naples and M•ssina. In England: London; besides many other Sea-Port Towns, reckon • in all, to the Number of 72. But these Foreign Hanse-Towns, quitted the League, when the Princes and States, under whose Dominion they lived, erected Companies, to promote and encourage the Trade of their respective Subjects. In the most flourishing Times of the Confederacy, the Hanse-Towns had Four general Staples, for the Sale of their Merchandise, viz. L•ndon in England; Bruges in Flanders (whence it was carried to Antwerp, and thence to Amsterdam) Bergen in Normandy; and •ovogred in Russia. And this Confederacy, which was made at first only for the Security of their Trade, and their Mutual Defence against Princes, grew so Powerful at last, as to Attempt a War against Waldemar III. King of Denmark, who Reign'd about 1348. Their Fleet went straight to Copenhagen, and put the King to flight▪ who, to make Peace, yielded to them the Possession of Schonen, for the Space of 16 Years. Anno 1428. they set out another Fleet, of 250 Sail, against Eric King of Denmark, with Land Forces consisting of 12000 Men, and put him to very hard Shifts. In 1615, with the Hollanders Assistance, they Relieved the Town of Brunswick, then Besieged by the Duke of that Name. After the Foreign Hanse-Towns had withdrawn themselves from the League, by Order of their Supreme Powers, still the German Hanse-Towns continued their Confederacy, and then Decreed, That none should be admitted, but such as were Situate in Germany, or had a Dependency on the Empire. Whereupon they red••ed themselves under Four Capital Hanse-Towns, Lubeck, Cologne, Brunswick and Dantzick; which last, though Subject, in some measure, to the King of Poland, is called to the German Diets. Lubeck has the Precedency, being impowered to call General Assemblies, and intrusted with the Publick Treasure of the Society. The Assemblies Meet but Once in three Years, unless upon some extraordinary and urgent Occasion. They had formerly for their Protector, the Great Master of the Te•i•nick Order: Sometimes the King of Denmark, or the King of Sweden; and also the King of Spain, as Soveraign of the Low-C•untries. But they have been a long time without Protectors. At present, the Hanse-Towns are in a mann•r reduced to these Six, viz. Lubeck, Hamburg▪ Bremen, Rostock, Dantzick and Col•re; the rest, having little or no Share, besides the Name, in their Confederacy. Heissius History of the Empire.