Group I - Lübeck

Group I - Lübeck

          The Hanse has one distinct important historical marker: the Salt Road. The members (countries) that were a part of the Hanseatic League led a different life from that of the citizens under noble sovereignty. They possessed their own parliament with laws such as the "Law of Lübeck" that protected the league, merchants, and citizens. These laws were followed even though these countries were not one single uniform government. Many of these nations also lacked a government other than that of the league. The participating cities took precautions to protect the merchants by building lighthouses for the seas, trained pilots, and made sure that merchants always traveled in pairs for better protection from pirates and robbers. The most famous trade route was the "Salt Road" which went from Lübeck to Hamburg. There were several others though as the league covered 170 different cities, and countries. A major part of the trades were done overseas, and because of this they had to build efficient ships that could withstand the threat of pirates, and transport a lot of goods at a time. These ships, Baltic Cog, had flat bottoms which made it possible for them to sail in shallow waters, and center mounted rudders (which was an advanced technology), had a fitted removable keel which allowed for repairs to be made easier, it could also hold lots of cargo (50-200 lasts) - this was more than the Vikings ships could hold which ranged from about 20 lasts. Each city, under Hanse laws, had their own aid, protection, and army. The merchants never signed or made contracts, therefore they only went off of verbal agreements, they kept to their word earning terms like "truth" and "trust". The fall of the Hanseatic League began in 1361, by the King of Denmark. He had decided to control the areas he had once given the Hanse cities privileges to fish in. The Hanse became upset and headed to the Scania coastline. The Hanse fleet was caught by the Danish fleet at sea and were forced to surrender. The Hanse had to give the revenue from the fishers to the King. The King eventually ran out of support, and had no other way but to sign a treaty that gave the Hanseatic League merchants full rights.


Group Members:

Katherine Bingen, Jeff Foster, Slade Simpson, Brandi Vistad, Brian Madsen, & Parker Nicastri

Jeff Foster

Ge110

                The Hanseatic League also known as the Hansa or Hanse was a commercial confederation of merchants and their market towns that controlled the trade along the northern European coast.  This group of merchant’s guilds lasted from roughly the 13^th to the 17^th century.   It was initially created to protect the economic interests and diplomatic privileges in the cities and countries along the trade routes the merchants visited.  The cities had their own armies and mutual protection and aid.  The origins of the Hanse can be led back to the German city of Lubeck, located on the western edge of the Baltic at the foot of the Danish peninsula.  In 1226 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II had declared Lübeck an Imperial City, owing allegiance only to the emperor himself. Since Frederick, like his successors, was normally far from the city pursuing quarrels with popes and other magnates, the merchants of Lübeck were freer than many city dwellers to pursue their own interests which revolved around the herring fisheries of the Baltic. To preserve the herrings they needed access to salt which was found in the vicinity of Kiel. In the late 12th century Hamburg and Lübeck had begun to trade together along the ‘salt road’ through Kiel. [1]

          In 1356, the League established a Diet, or Parliament, which first met in Lubeck, where representatives of the cities discussed common approaches to such matters as piracy, trading partners and the ambitions of sovereigns. Lubeck was used as a meeting place more often than not due to its central location within the trade routes.

[1] Hanseatic city Lubeck info; http://www.historytoday.com/stephen-halliday/first-common-market-hanseatic-league

Group 4

Matt Schoening

Denise Bechtold

Maria Mueller
Jonothan Porter
Zach Broberg

There are many interesting and fascinating historic and cultural places throughout the Hessen land.  I will primarily focus on these places and their significance to culture and history as we know it.  Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Snow white, Rumpelslitskin, and The Golden Goose are amongst the short tales in the volumes of The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales.  These “children’s tales” were initially written and published first in 1812.  These tales have been told and spanned two centuries.  They have influenced many of the Disney movies, and other TV series that we enjoy today. They also have been important to the German culture throughout their existence, being used by Hitler to influence children towards “racially pure” marriage partners.  The two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, were born in Hanau and worked in Kassel for 30 years.  Today there stands a monument to these brothers.   This was added to UNESCO’s “Memory of the world” registry in 2005.

                Sticking with the theme of entertainment we move to the film from 1926 “Metropolis”.  This silent film by Fritz Lang is considered to be one of the most famous silent films in the History of German Cinema.  A science fiction film based in a futuristic city of “Metropolis”, whose population lives in a society with strict class divisions.  This sci-fi film became the first full feature length of its genre.  The images and “futuristic” styling have still carried into Art and film today.   In 2001 this was declared a UNSECO World Document Heritage in 2001.

                If we look further back, much further, we find the Messel Fossil Pit.  This primeval forest lake, which had ultimately dried out into land during the Eocene epoch lends itself to showing one of the first stages of the evolution of animals.  The plants and animals here have survived in the rich oil shale for nearly 50 million years.  The findings and treasures from this site were so unique that the U.N. declared it a World Heritage Site. [1]

                If you find history more interesting, look toward the Roman Limes.  This 550km long wall which has stood for 1800 years and originally used as a Roman frontier wall and a defense against the German Tribes is considered to be Europe’s largest archeological monument.  900 watch towers and 120 forts form Germany’s largest monument.

                There are two natural landscapes that also grace the UNESCO heritage list, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and Germany’s Ancient Beech Forest.  These two beautiful pieces of landscape have, water, cliffs, vineyards, castles, palaces, churches, and historic villages scenes.

                The last two pieces of the UNESCO heritage list for Hessen are two landmarks, Europes largest park of its kind, and a Benedictine Abbey.  Bergpark Wilhelmshohe is very unique with the displays of water and landscape, to go along with the palace, Hercules statue, and 250 meter long cascade.  The park was formed at the start of the 18^th Century for the electoral princes of Hessen-Kassel as a summer residence.  Best part, entrance to the park is FREE!!!!

                Lorsch Abbey is considered one of Central Europe’s largest and most significant Abbeys.  It was originally founded in 764 and stood until the Thirty years war.  The significance of this abbey is the origination of scientific medicine (Lorsch Pharmacopeoia).  This book is the oldest medicinal book of the Western Middle Ages, and compiled in the 8^th century.  This book was added to the UNESCO World Document Heritage register in 2013.

                Hesse is one of the largest and healthiest economies in Germany.  The Gross Domestic Product of Hesse is roughly 316 billion dollars US.  That makes Hesse not only one of the largest in Germany, but Europe, and also 38^th in the world.  The main industries driving this economy are chemical and pharmaceutical.  In addition to these industries Opel Automotive is located in Frankfurt.  Frankfurt is a financial center to Hesse, with European Central Bank, and the headquarters of Deutsche Bank as well as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.  The Frankfurt Airport is the largest employer in Germany with more than 70,000 employees.  There are many companies with international influence from the optical, electrical, and precision engineering industries, Leitz, Leica, Minox, Brita, Zeiss, Volkswagen (spare parts), and Bombardier for locomotives.

                As for famous people from Hesse, as mentioned above Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm the writers of many of the fairy tales we love today.  Henri Nestle the confectioner that started Nestle Company.  Adam Opel the automotive entrepreneur, and most recently the F1 automotive racer Sebastian Vettel. [3]

Lastly, as a basic size comparison Hesse is roughly the same area as New Jersey, and has as many people as the state of Missouri.

1.       UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE; https://www.hessen-tourismus.de/culture-indulgence-in-hessen/unesco-world-heritage-sites

2.       Hesse General info; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesse

3.       Famous Hessen’s; http://www.eupedia.com/germany/hesse.shtml

In Ge110 I am expecting to learn more of the culture and the heritage that I have gotten away from.  My father is 100% German, as is my grandmother.  I am personally 50% German, and eight years ago spent 2 weeks in Germany.  I have a basic knowledge of the history and culture of Germany, however I do understand that the culture and the Germanic ways are ever changing and I would like to reconnect to that.  I do not wish to lose what makes us individuals and the reasons as to why we do things; we speaking as those with German heritage. I would like to continue this as it should be a proud portion of my history.