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113-635: Being a member of the Hanseatic League , Magdeburg was one of the most important trade cities, maintaining commerce with the Low Countries , the Baltic states , and the interior (for example Braunschweig ). As with most medieval city laws, the rights were primarily targeted at regulating trade to the benefit of the local merchants and artisans, who formed the most important part of the population of many such cities. External merchants coming into

226-643: A German . He was born in Głogów ( Glogau ), Lower Silesia . Henry's three older brothers Boleslaw, Conrad and John (1174–1190) died. His older half-brother Jarosław of Opole became a priest, possibly because of the scheming of Henry's mother Christina. Henry became Bolesław's sole heir in 1190. Through his marriage with Hedwig of Andechs (1182–1189), Henry was connected to the rulers of Germany , Hungary , Bohemia , and France . Henry's father, Bolesław I , died 8 December 1201. Early in 1202 Henry's uncle, Duke Mieszko IV Tanglefoot of Upper Silesia , attacked and took

339-618: A German girl whom he tried to rape. As he had no issue, his only heir in Greater Poland was Henry. However his authority in these areas was immediately contested. At first, Henry decided to take care of the fate of Lesser Poland, especially after the death of his cousin Duke Casimir I of Opole and the minority of his sons Mieszko II the Fat and Władysław Opolski , both under the guardianship of their mother Viola . He decided to take

452-612: A Wendish offensive, towns from Prussia and the Netherlands, and eventually joined by Wendish towns, allied in the Confederation of Cologne in 1368, sacked Copenhagen and Helsingborg , and forced Valdemar IV, King of Denmark , and his son-in-law Haakon VI, King of Norway , to grant tax exemptions and influence over Øresund fortresses for 15 years in the peace treaty of Stralsund in 1370. It extended privileges in Scania to

565-550: A complete success. In 1233 Henry and Konrad of Masovia signed a treaty in Chełm . Under the terms of this agreement, he had to resign henceforth any pretension over the Lesser Poland lands of Łęczyca and Sieradz , but in return received recognition of his rule over Kraków and the title of High Duke. Also, Henry was confirmed in the regency of Sandomierz on behalf of Bolesław V, a post which Konrad tried to obtain after he ordered

678-593: A consortium of 7 Hanseatic cities, and enjoyed full Hanseatic trading privileges. It went to Margaret in 1398. The Victual Brothers controlled Gotland in 1398. It was conquered by the Teutonic Order with support from the Prussian towns and its privileges were restored. The grandmaster of the Teutonic Order was often seen as the head of the Hanse ( caput Hansae ), both abroad and by some League members. Over

791-454: A date of foundation. Historians traditionally traced its origins to the rebuilding of the north German town of Lübeck in 1159 by the powerful Henry the Lion , Duke of Saxony and Bavaria , after he had captured the area from Adolf II , Count of Schauenburg and Holstein . More recent scholarship has deemphasized Lübeck, viewing it as one of several regional trading centers, and presenting

904-679: A hundred cities, in Central Europe apart from Germany , including Schleswig , Bohemia , Poland , Pomerania , Prussia , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (following the Christianization of Lithuania ), including present-day Belarus and Ukraine , and probably Moldavia . In these lands they were mostly known as German or Teutonic law. Since the local tribunal of Magdeburg also became the superior court for these towns, Magdeburg, together with Lübeck , practically defined

1017-509: A permission to sell meat to Christians, or employ Christian servants. By at least some contemporary observers, the parallel infrastructure of Jews and gentiles was considered significant; in medieval Poland's royal city development policy, both German merchants and Jews were invited to settle in Polish cities. Among the most advanced systems of old Germanic law of the time, in the 13th and 14th centuries, Magdeburg rights were granted to more than

1130-455: A representative merchant and warehouse. Often they were not permanently manned. In Scania , Denmark, around 30 Hanseatic seasonal factories produced salted herring, these were called vitten and were granted legal autonomy to the extent that Burkhardt argues that they resembled a fifth kontor and would be seen as such if not for their early decline. In England, factories in Boston (the outpost

1243-524: A solution to the situation. Henry, and the lesser Dukes Leszek, Konrad I, and Władysław Odonic were present. Leszek and the other Piast princes, bestowed a gift on the clergy, ensuring the integrity of the bishop's territorial possessions (the privilege wasn't signed by Henry or Władysław III, but they did comply with its provisions). Mieszko IV wasn't present in Borzykowa. While the other Dukes were in Borzykowa, Mieszko IV and his army invaded Kraków, and took

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1356-615: A treaty with the Visby Hansa, northern German merchants made regular stops at Gotland. In the first half of the 13th century, they established their own trading station or Kontor in Novgorod, known as the Peterhof , up the river Volkhov . Lübeck soon became a base for merchants from Saxony and Westphalia trading eastward and northward; for them, because of its shorter and easier access route and better legal protections, it

1469-533: A variety of vessel types for shipping across the seas and navigating rivers. The most emblematic type was the cog . Expressing diversity in construction, it was depicted on Hanseatic seals and coats of arms. By the end of the Middle Ages, the cog was replaced by types like the hulk , which later gave way to larger carvel ships. Hanse is the Old High German word for a band or troop. This word

1582-450: A year later in Sądowlu . Each member of this Piast triumvirate (later including Leszek's younger brother Konrad of Masovia) brought some mutual benefits to the alliance. Władysław's inclusion brought about an immediate restitution of Lubusz and Leszek's formal sovereignty over the rest of the country. Over the next few years the three dukes cooperated. The main motive for the treaty between

1695-412: Is alleged that this policy contributed to the significant Germanization of Silesia, some historians believe that was a common fact during the 13th century and Henry was misunderstood as a result of this. Colonization of Germans didn't cover only Silesia (which prospered considerably thanks to that), but also a dozen other towns or villages in his duchy; in consequence, Henry had to create new town laws for

1808-642: The Burgundian State . The city of Lübeck faced financial troubles in 1403, leading dissenting craftsmen to establish a supervising committee in 1405. This triggered a governmental crisis in 1408 when the committee rebelled and established a new town council. Similar revolts broke out in Wismar and Rostock, with new town councils established in 1410. The crisis was ended in 1418 by a compromise. Eric of Pomerania succeeded Margaret in 1412 and sought to expand into Schleswig and Holstein levying tolls at

1921-605: The Griffin dukes of Pomerania were in constant conflict over control of the Pomeranian Hanseatic towns. While not successful at first, Bogislav X eventually subjugated Stettin and Köslin , curtailing the region's economy and independence. A major Hansa economic advantage was its control of the shipbuilding market, mainly in Lübeck and Danzig. The League sold ships throughout Europe. The economic crises of

2034-827: The Kingdom of Poland , (from 1466 to 1569 referred to as Royal Prussia , region of Poland) by the Second Peace of Thorn . Poland in turn was heavily supported by the Holy Roman Empire through family connections and by military assistance under the Habsburgs . Kraków , then the Polish capital, had a loose association with the Hansa. The lack of customs borders on the River Vistula after 1466 helped to gradually increase Polish grain exports, transported down

2147-513: The Kontor of Bruges , became significant enclaves . The London Kontor , the Steelyard , stood west of London Bridge near Upper Thames Street , on the site later occupied by Cannon Street station . It grew into a walled community with its warehouses, weigh house , church, offices, and homes. In addition to the major Kontors , individual ports with Hanseatic trading outposts or factories had

2260-642: The Magdeburg Archbishop Albert I of Käfernburg . Henry was finally able to add this strategically important area to his duchy, although he did so without the consent of Duke Władysław III of Greater Poland. Henry also managed to obtain another asset; a castle in Cedynia , conquered after a local conflict with Duke Barnim I of Pomerania . In 1227 Leszek the White organized an assembly of Piast Dukes at Gąsawa to settle territorial disputes and

2373-521: The Peterhof from 1443 to 1448. After extended conflicts with the League from the 1370s, English traders gained trade privileges in the Prussian region via the treaties of Marienburg (the first in 1388, the last in 1409). Their influence increased, while the importance of Hanseatic trade in England decreased over the 15th century. Over the 15th century, tensions between the Prussian region and

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2486-846: The Pfalzgraf Otto VIII, Count Palatine of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach , then a loyal follower of the House of Hohenstaufen. His wife Agnes, of the ducal House of Andechs , were strong supporters of the Staufer. Henry remained neutral, and refused to take part in the conflict between the Holy Roman Empire , the Staufer and the Welfs . Otto VIII murdered the German Hohenstaufer King Philip of Swabia and

2599-774: The Scania Market ; Cologne joined them in the Diet of 1260. The towns raised their armies, with each guild required to provide levies when needed. The Hanseatic cities aided one another, and commercial ships often served to carry soldiers and their arms. The network of alliances grew to include a flexible roster of 70 to 170 cities. In the West, cities of the Rhineland such as Cologne enjoyed trading privileges in Flanders and England. In 1266, King Henry III of England granted

2712-581: The Teutonic Order and Duchy of Masovia , as well as some cities under direct Polish and Lithuanian rule, obtained Chełmno rights , a local variant of Magdeburg rights, which prevailed in the area roughly corresponding to today's northeastern quarter of Poland, including the current Polish capital of Warsaw . In addition to this, many towns in the Duchy of Pomerania in modern north-western Poland and other Baltic port cities were granted Lübeck law , thus

2825-457: The Vistula , from 10,000 short tons (9,100 t) per year, in the late 15th century, to over 200,000 short tons (180,000 t) in the 17th century. The Hansa-dominated maritime grain trade made Poland one of the main areas of its activity, helping Danzig to become the Hansa's largest city. Polish kings soon began to reduce the towns' political freedoms. Beginning in the mid-15th century,

2938-837: The Yorkist side during the Wars of the Roses of 1455–1487. Tsar Ivan III of Russia closed the Hanseatic Kontor at Novgorod in 1494 and deported its merchants to Moscow, in an attempt to reduce Hanseatic influence on Russian trade. At the time, only 49 traders were at the Peterhof. The fur trade was redirected to Leipzig, taking out the Hansards; while the Hanseatic trade with Russia moved to Riga, Reval, and Pleskau. When

3051-602: The "Wendish" cities (Lübeck and its eastern neighbours) increased. Lübeck was dependent on its role as center of the Hansa; Prussia's main interest, on the other hand, was the export of bulk products such as grain and timber to England, the Low Countries and later on Spain and Italy. Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg , tried to assert authority over the Hanseatic towns Berlin and Cölln in 1442 and blocked all Brandenburg towns from participating in Hanseatic diets. For some Brandenburg towns, this ended their Hanseatic involvement. In 1488, John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg did

3164-553: The 1380s, the League regained its trade privileges in 1392, agreeing to Russian trade privileges for Livonia and Gotland. In 1424, all German traders of the Petershof kontor in Novgorod were imprisoned and 36 of them died. Although rare, arrests and seizures in Novgorod were particularly violent. In response, and due to the ongoing war between Novgorod and the Livonian Order , the League blockaded Novgorod and abandoned

3277-519: The 15th century, the League became further institutionalized. This was in part a response to challenges in governance and competition with rivals, but also reflected changes in trade. A slow shift occurred from loose participation to formal recognition/revocation. Another general trend was Hanseatic cities' increased legislation of their kontors abroad. Only the Bergen kontor grew more independent in this period. In Novgorod, after extended conflict since

3390-588: The Baltic. Although the blockade of the grain trade hurt Holland and Zeeland more than Hanseatic cities, it was against Prussian interest to maintain it. In 1454, the year of the marriage of Elisabeth of Austria to King-Grand Duke Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland-Lithuania , the towns of the Prussian Confederation rose up against the dominance of the Teutonic Order and asked Casimir IV for help. Gdańsk (Danzig), Thorn and Elbing became part of

3503-667: The Bearded Henry the Bearded ( Polish : Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty , German : Heinrich der Bärtige ; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty . He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Poland – internally divided – from 1232 until his death. Henry was the fourth son of Duke Bolesław I the Tall of Silesia , by his second wife Christina, probably

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3616-713: The Carpathians were another important source of copper and iron, often sold in Thorn . Lubeck had a vital role in the salt trade; salt was acquired in Lüneburg or shipped from France and Portugal and sold on Central European markets, taken to Scania to salt herring, or exported to Russia. Stockfish was traded from Bergen in exchange for grain; Hanseatic grain inflows allowed more permanent settlements further north in Norway. The league also traded beer, with beer from Hanseatic towns

3729-495: The Church wasn't good all the time. In many cases, Henry decided to give concessions, but at the end, in one way or another, the conflict arose again. At the end of his life, the conflicts were even more complicated. During his reign, Henry also improved the economy and infrastructure of his lands by supporting the immigration of German settlers ( Ostsiedlung ), mainly from the home of his wife, Franconia and Bavaria . Although it

3842-507: The Danish dominion, as had Hamburg in 1189. Also in this period Wismar, Rostock, Stralsund, and Danzig received city charters. Hansa societies worked to remove trade restrictions for their members. The earliest documentary mention (although without a name) of a specific German commercial federation dates between 1173 and 1175 (commonly misdated to 1157) in London. That year, the merchants of

3955-609: The Duchy of Opole ( Oppeln ), which had passed from Jarosław's possession into Henry's. Mieszko wanted more than Opole, but was opposed by Archbishop of Gniezno , Henry Kietlicz and the Bishop of Wrocław , Cyprian . They supported Henry because he paid them 1,000 pieces of silver. When the Holy Roman Empire was in the middle of the struggles between the Staufer and the Welfs , at first, Henry wasn't directly involved in this fight. After 1207, Henry betrothed his daughter Gertrude to

4068-611: The German and Scandinavian coasts, making it the best-lighted coast in the world, largely thanks to the Hansa. The weakening of imperial power and imperial protection under the late Hohenstaufen dynasty forced the League to institutionalize a cooperating network of cities with a fluid structure, called the Städtehanse , but it never became a formal organization and the Kaufmannshanse continued to exist. This development

4181-512: The Hansa in Cologne convinced King Henry II of England to exempt them from all tolls in London and to grant protection to merchants and goods throughout England. German colonists in the 12th and 13th centuries settled in numerous cities on and near the east Baltic coast, such as Elbing ( Elbląg ), Thorn ( Toruń ), Reval ( Tallinn ), Riga , and Dorpat ( Tartu ), all of which joined the League, and some of which retain Hansa buildings and bear

4294-587: The Hanseatic League remained a loosely aligned confederation of city-states . It lacked a permanent administrative body, a treasury, and a standing military force. In the 14th century, the Hanseatic League instated an irregular negotiating diet that operated based on deliberation and consensus . By the mid-16th century, these weak connections left the Hanseatic League vulnerable, and it gradually unraveled as members merged into other realms or departed, ultimately disintegrating in 1669. The League used

4407-603: The Hanseatic network of merchant guilds. The dominant language of trade was Middle Low German , which had a significant impact on the languages spoken in the area, particularly the larger Scandinavian languages , Estonian , and Latvian . Visby , on the island of Gotland, functioned as the leading center in the Baltic before the Hansa. Sailing east, Visby merchants established a trading post at Novgorod called Gutagard (also known as Gotenhof ) in 1080. In 1120, Gotland gained autonomy from Sweden and admitted traders from its southern and western regions. Thereafter, under

4520-588: The Just ), and Władysław Odonic (Władysław III's nephew). Henry once again remained neutral. Władysław III Spindleshanks had assumed the throne at Kraków, but was deposed in 1206. Leszek became High Duke and Duke of Kraków. The loss of the Seniorate Province caused Władysław III to change his alliance, increasing his presence in West Pomerania ). He proposed to Henry an exchange of territories:

4633-463: The League as the combination of a north German trading system oriented on the Baltic and a Rhinelandic trading system targeting England and Flanders. German cities speedily dominated trade in the Baltic during the 13th century, and Lübeck became a central node in the seaborne trade that linked the areas around the North and Baltic seas . Lübeck hegemony peaked during the 15th century. Well before

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4746-592: The League's power and tried to diminish it. For example, in London, local merchants exerted continuing pressure for the revocation of privileges. Most foreign cities confined Hanseatic traders to specific trading areas and their trading posts. The refusal of the Hansa to offer reciprocal arrangements to their counterparts exacerbated the tension. League merchants used their economic power to pressure cities and rulers. They called embargoes, redirected trade away from towns, and boycotted entire countries. Blockades were erected against Novgorod in 1268 and 1277/1278. Bruges

4859-451: The League, including Holland and Zeeland. The treaty marked the height of Hanseatic influence; for this period the League was called a "Northern European great power ". The Confederation lasted until 1385, while the Øresund fortresses were returned to Denmark that year. After Valdemar's heir Olav died, a succession dispute erupted over Denmark and Norway between Albert of Mecklenburg, King of Sweden and Margaret I, Queen of Denmark . This

4972-514: The League. Over the 13th century, older and wealthier long-distance traders increasingly chose to settle in their hometowns as trade leaders, transitioning from their previous roles as landowners. The growing number of settled merchants afforded long-distance traders greater influence over town policies. Coupled with an increased presence in the ministerial class , this elevated the status of merchants and enabled them to expand to and assert dominance over more cities. This decentralized arrangement

5085-588: The Lesser Polish nobility, who could assure the succession of his son. In order to achieve full protection of the possession of Kraków in his bloodline, Henry began efforts towards the coronation of his son as a King of Poland. To this end, he established contacts with the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen . However, the increasing conflicts with the church and his own death prevented this idea. In internal politics, Henry maintained

5198-783: The Lübeck and Hamburg Hansa a charter for operations in England , initially causing competition with the Westphalians. But the Cologne Hansa and the Wendish Hansa joined in 1282 to form the Hanseatic colony in London, although they didn't completely merge until the 15th century. Novgorod was blockaded in 1268 and 1277/1278. Nonetheless, Westphalian traders continued to dominate trade in London and also Ipswich and Colchester , while Baltic and Wendish traders concentrated between King's Lynn and Newcastle upon Tyne . Much of

5311-496: The Magdeburg rights in Kyiv , Minsk , Tetiiv , Veiviržėnai and Vinnytsia . Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German towns in the late 12th century, the League expanded between the 13th and 15th centuries and ultimately encompassed nearly 200 settlements across eight modern-day countries, ranging from Estonia in

5424-461: The Magdeburg rights. In 1832, the city of Chernivtsi was granted Magdeburg rights by the Austrian authorities. The old towns of Kraków , Lviv , Vilnius and Zamość , considerably developed under the Magdeburg rights, are World Heritage Sites , and Kazimierz Dolny , Lublin , Paczków , Poznań , Przemyśl , Rydzyna , Sandomierz , Stary Sącz , Tykocin and Wrocław are also designated Historic Monuments of Poland . There are memorials to

5537-401: The Peterhof reopened in 1514, Novgorod was no longer a trade hub. In the same period, the burghers of Bergen tried to develop an independent intermediate trade with the northern population, against the Hansards' obstruction. The League's mere existence and its privileges and monopolies created economic and social tensions that often spilled onto rivalries between League members. Henry

5650-546: The Piast alliance was finally broken. In Greater Poland, Władysław Odonic and, his brother-in-law, Duke Swietopelk II of Pomerelia took Ujście . Disputes with Władysław III effectively prevented the continuation of the treaties. In 1225, Henry broke the treaty and entered Kraków. When Landgrave Louis IV of Thuringia attacked Lubusz, Henry retreated from Kraków. The struggles for Lubusz continued intermittently until 1230, when Margrave Louis IV's successor Henry Raspe resigned his rights over Lubusz in 1229 and sold his claim to

5763-456: The Pious, as a Duke. On the other hand, in Lesser Poland, the borders were less secure. The military mutual support between Henry and Odonic was tested in 1235, when Henry managed to recover Wladyslaw's castle in Śrem , in defense of which Borzivoj , son of the deposed Duke Diepold II of Bohemia was killed. The control of Opole was vital to Henry, because this territory, through which all major commercial tracks from Wrocław to Kraków were made,

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5876-988: The Polish cities of Kraków and Lublin , and then after Vilnius. Hundreds of towns in Poland and Lithuania, some now located in Belarus, Latvia and Ukraine , were formerly governed on the basis of the location privilege known as the "settlement with German law", excluding local variants of Magdeburg rights, with some of the more notable cities being, chronologically, Lublin , Zielona Góra , Tarnów , Olkusz , Sanok , Bydgoszcz , Rzeszów , Lwów , Będzin , Kielce , Krosno , Wieliczka , Częstochowa , Jarosław , Przemyśl , Chełm , Kazimierz Dolny , Łódź , Kamieniec Podolski , Łuck , Żytomierz , Rivne , Kowel , Siedlce , Leszno , Tarnopol , Rydzyna , Augustów , Płoskirów , Zamość , Daugavpils , Brody , Orsza , Biała Cerkiew , Nowogród Siewierski , Czernihów , Nizhyn , Krzemieńczuk , Vinnytsia , Poltava , Stanisławów , Jēkabpils , Suwałki , Białystok , Uman , Palanga , Telšiai , Cherkasy and Marijampolė . The rights reached

5989-428: The Polish western border. Initially, he tried to settle the dispute peacefully, sending ambassadors to the court of Emperor Otto IV at Altenburg to obtain the return of Lubusz to Silesia. They returned without a response, and Henry organized an armed expedition. No military action was needed. On 6 May 1210, Margrave Konrad II died, and Henry took Lubusz and the Lusatian town of Guben , which he held until 1218. In 1223

6102-416: The Silesian Lubusz Land for the Greater Poland Kalisz region. Henry accepted the offer, but the exchange resulted in political confusion. Władysław Odonic had been expecting to inherit Lubusz and Greater Poland from his uncle Władysław III. Odonic counted on the support of the church, headed by Archbishop Henry Kietlicz of Gniezno. Władysław III had his two opponents, Odonic and the archbishop, exiled. Henry

6215-420: The actions of Duke Swietopelk II. Władysław Odonic and Henry supported Leszek and his brother Konrad of Masovia. Władysław III of Greater Poland did not go to Gąsawa. Duke Swietopelk II, a member of the Pomerelian Samborides dynasty, had declared himself independent from Polish vassalage. The High Duke demanded a serious reprimand for Swietopelk, or his complete removal from the duchy. Swietopelk II (probably with

6328-414: The capital without a fight. Mieszko IV only held Kraków for a year. Henry, although he was now the oldest of the lesser Dukes, did nothing. Leszek I the White returned to Kraków without any major difficulties. After the papal bull affair, Henry supported peace and cooperation with High Duke Leszek and Duke Władysław III of Greater Poland. The pact was established in 1217 in a meeting in Dańkowie , and then

6441-523: The chief cities of Vilnius , Brest and Kaunas , although more slowly than earlier in Poland, especially late in the east and in private towns . In the 15th and 16th centuries, the rights were granted to many other towns, including, chronologically, Trakai , Grodno , Kyiv , Polotsk , Minsk , Novogrudok , Rechytsa , Slonim , Barysaw , Mogilev , Mazyr , Mir , Pińsk , Alytus , Nyasvizh , Šiauliai , Biržai , Lida , Kėdainiai and Vitebsk . Magdeburg rights in Lithuania were initially modeled after

6554-401: The church and promised to respect the old laws. Complications arose when his nephew Władysław Odonic rebelled against him. High Duke Władysław III focused his attention on Greater Poland and Henry was elected to rule Kraków as a Governor of the High Duke, not as High Duke, in recognition of his military support of Władysław III. The High Duke also promised that Henry and his descendants were to be

6667-491: The city were not allowed to trade on their own, but were instead forced to sell the goods they had brought into the city to local traders, if any wished to buy them. Jews and Germans were sometimes competitors in those cities. Jews lived under privileges that they carefully negotiated with the king or emperor . They were not subject to city jurisdiction. These privileges guaranteed that they could maintain communal autonomy, live according to their laws, and be subjected directly to

6780-465: The cottage industry occurred in other fields, e.g. etching, wood carving, armor production, engraving of metals, and wood-turning . The league primarily traded beeswax, furs, timber, resin (or tar), flax, honey, wheat, and rye from the east to Flanders and England with cloth, in particular broadcloth , (and, increasingly, manufactured goods ) going in the other direction. Metal ore (principally copper and iron) and herring came south from Sweden, while

6893-421: The drive for cooperation came from the fragmented nature of existing territorial governments, which did not provide security for trade. Over the next 50 years, the merchant Hansa solidified with formal agreements for co-operation covering the west and east trade routes . Cities from the east modern-day Low Countries, but also Utrecht, Holland, Zealand, Brabant, Namur, and modern Limburg joined in participation over

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7006-631: The duchy. Konrad I of Masovia marched against Greater Poland. He was defeated at the walls of Kalisz, but later he managed a victory over Władysław Odonic, the senior sovereign of Greater Poland. Władysław III escaped to Upper Silesian Racibórz , while Konrad, entered Kraków and took the title of High Duke. Henry II was able to maintain Silesia's independence, and he prepared an armed expedition against Lesser Poland. The real help for Henry I's Hedwig of Andechs went to Płock to speak to Konrad . Konrad decided to release Henry I if he renounced his rights to Kraków. The Pope later freed him of his promise as it

7119-514: The easternmost cities of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , including Roslavl , Smolensk and Starodub , now part of Russia . The advantages of the Magdeburg rights were not only economic, but also political. Members of noble families were able to join the city patriciate usually unchallenged. There were cases of changing the type of municipal rights, such as in Błonie from Magdeburg to Chełmno rights , and in Bielsk Podlaski and Tykocin from Chełmno to Magdeburg rights. Most towns ruled by

7232-409: The heirs of Greater Poland. After Leszek's death, a war between Henry and Duke Konrad I of Masovia erupted in 1228. Initially, Henry was successful as he repelled Konrad forces at the Battles of Międzyborze , Skała and Wrocieryż (all in Lesser Poland ). Then the situation changed drastically. Henry, a strong supporter of High Duke Władysław III, had difficulty ruling the Kraków nobility. Henry I

7345-450: The help of Władysław Odonic) attacked first, at Gąsawa . On 23 November 1227, Leszek the White and Henry were trapped in an ambush. Leszek was killed and Henry was seriously wounded. Peregrinus of Wiesenburg threw himself on Henry, saving Henry's life. A new power struggle for the Polish throne began. Leszek the White left a one-year-old son, Bolesław , and the Duke of Greater Poland, Władysław III, saw an opportunity to retake Kraków and

7458-405: The imprisonment of the infant Duke and his mother. Only thanks to the Gryfici's efforts, Bolesław and Grzymislawa could escape and return to their lands. The struggles over Lesser Poland continued, however, until Henry's death. In summer 1234 Henry the Bearded decided to re-intervene in Greater Poland. This time the campaign was totally different to the expedition of two years earlier. Above all, it

7571-423: The late 15th century did not spare the Hansa. Nevertheless, its eventual rivals emerged in the form of territorial states . New vehicles of credit were imported from Italy. When Flanders and Holland became part of the Duchy of Burgundy , Burgund Dutch and Prussian cities increasingly excluded Lübeck from their grain trade in the 15th and 16th century. Burgund Dutch demand for Prussian and Livonian grain grew in

7684-504: The late 15th century onwards. Nuremberg in Franconia developed an overland route to sell formerly Hansa-monopolised products from Frankfurt via Nuremberg and Leipzig to Poland and Russia, trading Flemish cloth and French wine in exchange for grain and furs from the east. The Hansa profited from the Nuremberg trade by allowing Nurembergers to settle in Hanseatic towns, which the Franconians exploited by taking over trade with Sweden as well. The Nuremberger merchant Albrecht Moldenhauer

7797-417: The late 15th century. These trade interests differed from Wendish interests, threatening political unity, but also showed a trade where the Hanseatic system was impractical. Hollandish freight costs were much lower than the Hansa's, and the Hansa were excluded as middlemen. After naval wars between Burgundy and the Hanseatic fleets, Amsterdam gained the position of leading port for Polish and Baltic grain from

7910-405: The law of northern Germany, Poland and Lithuania for centuries, being the heart of the most important "family" of city laws. This role remained until the old Germanic laws were successively replaced with Roman law under the influence of the Reichskammergericht , in the centuries after its establishment during the Imperial Reform of 1495. The first town to be granted Magdeburg rights in Poland

8023-630: The most valued, and Wendish cities like Lübeck, Hamburg, Wismar, and Rostock developed export breweries for hopped beer. The Hanseatic League, at first the merchant hansas and eventually its cities, relied on power to secure protection and gain and preserve privileges. Bandits and pirates were persistent problems; during wars, these could be joined by privateers . Traders could be arrested abroad and their goods could be confiscated. The league sought to codify protection; internal treaties established mutual defense and external treaties codified privileges. Many locals, merchant and noble alike, envied

8136-606: The new foreigners; the first was granted in 1211 in Złotoryja ( Goldberg ). Henry died in 1238 in Krosno Odrzańskie ( Crossen an der Oder ) and was buried in the Cistercian church of Trzebnica ( Trebnitz ) which he had founded in 1202 on the request of his wife. Henry the Bearded is considered by historians as one of the most prominent Piast Princes from the period of Poland's feudal fragmentation . However, all his work

8249-634: The north and east, to the Netherlands in the west, and extended inland as far as Cologne , the Prussian regions and Kraków , Poland . The League began as a collection of loosely associated groups of German traders and towns aiming to expand their commercial interests, including protection against robbery. Over time, these arrangements evolved into the League, offering traders toll privileges and protection on affiliated territory and trade routes. Economic interdependence and familial connections among merchant families led to deeper political integration and

8362-549: The original Magdeburg law was relatively rare in what is now northern Poland. In the medieval Kingdom of Hungary , the first town to receive the Magdeburg rights was Székesfehérvár in 1237, followed by Trnava (1238), Nitra (1248), Levoča (1271) and Žilina (1369). Towns and cities including Bardejov , Buda , Bratislava and Košice adopted the Southern German Nuremberg town rights, rather than

8475-457: The power of the other Piast Dukes under his control. In order to neutralize the growing power of the nobility, he sought to promote Knighthood. Also, he started to restrict the role of land officials, especially chastellains. The complete elimination of the nobility was impossible, and for this, Henry based their government on the support of noble families, like the Gryfici. The relationship with

8588-545: The recesses; representatives would sometimes leave the Diet prematurely to give their towns an excuse not to ratify decisions. Only a few Hanseatic cities were free imperial cities or enjoyed comparable autonomy and liberties, but many temporarily escaped domination by local nobility. Between 1361 and 1370, League members fought against Denmark in the Danish-Hanseatic War . Though initially unsuccessful with

8701-940: The reduction of trade barriers. This gradual process involved standardizing trade regulations among Hanseatic Cities. During its time, the Hanseatic League dominated maritime trade in the North and Baltic Seas . It established a network of trading posts in numerous towns and cities, notably the Kontors in London (known as the Steelyard ), Bruges , Bergen , and Novgorod , which became extraterritorial entities that enjoyed considerable legal autonomy. Hanseatic merchants, commonly referred to as Hansards, operated private companies and were known for their access to commodities, and enjoyed privileges and protections abroad. The League's economic power enabled it to impose blockades and even wage war against kingdoms and principalities. Even at its peak,

8814-472: The regency of Opole on behalf of the infant Dukes, in view of the strategic location of their Duchy on his way to Kraków, and also certainly they helped him to fight. But the most important card in the next conflict wasn't in the hands of Henry and Konrad, but Lesser Poland noble House of Gryfici who decided to support the Silesian Duke. Not without significance was the support which Henry gave -when he

8927-537: The rights granted to Środa Śląska by Henry the Bearded in 1235, Kalisz law, a variant of the Środa law, based on the rights granted to Kalisz by Bolesław the Pious before 1268, and Poznań law, a variant of Magdeburg rights, based on the rights granted to Poznań by Bolesław the Pious in 1253. Following the formation of the Polish–Lithuanian union in 1385, Magdeburg rights spread to Lithuania, first granted to

9040-448: The royal jurisdiction in matters concerning Jews and Christians. One of the provisions granted to Jews was that a Jew could not be compelled to be a Gewährsmann /informant; that is, he had the right to keep confidential how he had acquired objects in his possession. A Jew with this right could voluntarily divulge who had gifted, sold, or loaned him the object, but it was illegal to coerce him to say. Other provisions frequently mentioned were

9153-491: The same to Stendal and Salzwedel in the Altmark . Until 1394, Holland and Zeeland actively participated in the Hansa, but in 1395, their feudal obligations to Albert I, Duke of Bavaria prevented further cooperation. Consequently, their Hanseatic ties weakened, and their economic focus shifted. Between 1417 and 1432, this economic reorientation became even more pronounced as Holland and Zeeland gradually became part of

9266-457: The sea and many were linked to partners by river trade or even land trade. These formed an integrated network, while many smaller Hanseatic towns had their main trading activity in subregional trade. Internal Hanseatic trade was the Hanse's quantitatively largest and most important business. Trade over rivers and land was not tied to specific Hanseatic privileges, but seaports such as Bremen , Hamburg and Riga dominated trade on their rivers. This

9379-515: The style of their Hanseatic days. Most adopted Lübeck law , after the league's most prominent town. The law provided that they appeal in all legal matters to Lübeck's city council. Others, like Danzig from 1295 onwards, had Magdeburg law or its derivative, Culm law . Later, the Livonian Confederation of 1435 to c.  1582 incorporated modern-day Estonia and parts of Latvia ; all of its major towns were members of

9492-548: The term Hanse appeared in a document in 1267, in different cities began to form guilds , or hansas , with the intention of trading with overseas towns, especially in the economically less-developed eastern Baltic. This area could supply timber, wax , amber , resins , and furs, along with rye and wheat brought on barges from the hinterland to port markets. Merchant guilds formed in hometowns and destination ports as medieval corporations ( universitates mercatorum ), and despite competition increasingly cooperated to coalesce into

9605-527: The thirteenth century. This network of Hanseatic trading guilds became called the Kaufmannshanse in historiography. The League succeeded in establishing additional Kontors in Bruges ( Flanders ), Bryggen in Bergen (Norway), and London (England) beside the Peterhof in Novgorod. These trading posts were institutionalised by the first half of the 14th century (for Bergen and Bruges) and, except for

9718-592: The three was the crusading expeditions against the pagan Baltic Old Prussians . These crusades, in 1222 and 1223, both failed despite the vast financial outlay. Henry then proposed bringing a contingent of Teutonic Knights to Poland. Duke Konrad I of Masovia put out the call and the knights entered Poland in 1226. Henry resigned his claim to Kraków because Margrave Konrad II of Lusatia seized Lubusz Land . Duke Władysław III gained possession of Lubusz in 1206, but lost it soon after. The possession of Lubusz directly affected Henry's sovereignty and he sent his forces to

9831-514: The title and power which his grandfather Władysław II the Exile had lost in 1146. In 1232 Henry also had an opportunity to gain Greater Poland, and launched an offensive against Władysław Odonic, who was also a claimant this land. The invasion was a failure, however, as a result of inaction of the Silesian nobility and support from the Church of Odonic. In his war for Lesser Poland, however, he had

9944-591: The title of High Duke under the guise of regency. The Lesser Polish nobles sided with Leszek's brother Duke Konrad I of Masovia. In the Duchy of Sandomierz Bolesław was declared the rightful heir under the regency of his mother Grzymislawa of Luck , with the help of local nobles. In the Poland, Władysław III had the upper hand in the fight for Kraków, especially after the Congress of Cienia Pierwsza near Kalisz on 5 May 1228, where he granted several privileges to

10057-459: The title of High Duke. The excommunication bull was issued at the request of an anonymous Duke of Silesia , probably Henry (because Mieszko IV used the title Duke of Racibórz-Opole). The situation became quite confused and no one was sure who held the real power. Archbishop Henry Ketlicz, who had returned from exile some time before, called the Synod of Borzykowa  [ pl ] to try to find

10170-524: The traders' hometowns. Outposts in Lisbon , Bordeaux , Bourgneuf , La Rochelle and Nantes offered the cheaper Bay salt. Ships that plied this trade sailed in the salt fleet . Trading posts operated in Flanders, Denmark-Norway, the Baltic interior, Upper Germany, Iceland, and Venice. Hanseatic trade was not exclusively maritime, or even over water. Most Hanseatic towns did not have immediate access to

10283-619: The Øresund toll, which caused tensions with Holland and Zeeland . The Sound tolls, and a later attempt of Lübeck to exclude the English and Dutch merchants from Scania harmed the Scanian herring trade when the excluded regions began to develop their own herring industries. In the Dutch–Hanseatic War (1438–1441), a privateer war mostly waged by Wendish towns, the merchants of Amsterdam sought and eventually won free access to

10396-548: The Øresund. Hanseatic cities were divided initially; Lübeck tried to appease Eric while Hamburg supported the Schauenburg counts against him. This led to the Danish-Hanseatic War (1426-1435) and the Bombardment of Copenhagen (1428). The Treaty of Vordingborg renewed the League's commercial privileges in 1435, but the Øresund tolls continued. Eric of Pomerania was subsequently deposed and in 1438 Lübeck took control of

10509-404: Was Złotoryja in 1211. Soon many towns were vested with the law including Wrocław , Opole , Inowrocław , Sandomierz , Gniezno , Poznań , Bochnia , Głogów , Bytom , Sieradz , Kraków , Legnica , Opatów , Konin , Piotrków , Racibórz in the 13th century, whereas Szczecin and Stargard were granted the rights in 1243 by the duke of Pomerania. The Law of Magdeburg implemented in Poland

10622-489: Was Governor of Kraków- to Grzymislawa of Luck , widow of Leszek the White; fearing for the future of the inheritance of her infant son Bolesław V, she surrendered the regency of his Duchy of Sandomierz to Henry. Konrad obviously didn't intend to fight with the enormous popularity of Henry's government in both Silesia and Lesser Poland. In 1232, Henry entered Kraków and was proclaimed High Duke and overlord of Poland, and with this, he finally recovered for his Silesian Piast dynasty

10735-482: Was a major Rus trade centre . Scandinavians led the Baltic trade before the League, establishing major trading hubs at Birka , Haithabu , and Schleswig by the 9th century CE. The later Hanseatic ports between Mecklenburg and Königsberg (present-day Kaliningrad ) originally formed part of the Scandinavian-led Baltic trade system. The Hanseatic League was never formally founded, so it lacks

10848-522: Was also called Stalhof), Bristol , Bishop's Lynn (later King's Lynn , which featured the sole remaining Hanseatic warehouse in England), Hull , Ipswich , Newcastle upon Tyne , Norwich , Scarborough , Yarmouth (now Great Yarmouth ), and York , many of which were important for the Baltic trade and became centers of the textile industry in the late 14th century. Hansards and textile manufacturers coordinated to make fabrics meet local demand and fashion in

10961-473: Was an independent title, and only in Lower Silesia was his authority strong enough to not worry about his succession. The continuous rebellions of Konrad of Masovia and Władysław Odonic forced Henry in 1234 to designate his son Henry II the Pious as the heir to the throne. After that, Henry was styled Duke of Silesia and Kraków, and his son Duke of Silesia and Greater Poland. He also made an agreement with

11074-528: Was applied to bands of merchants traveling between the Hanseatic cities. Hanse in Middle Low German came to mean a society of merchants or a trader guild. Claims that it originally meant An-See , or "on the sea", are incorrect. Exploratory trading ventures, raids, and piracy occurred throughout the Baltic Sea. The sailors of Gotland sailed up rivers as far away as Novgorod , which

11187-545: Was because Władysław Odonic lost the support of the nobility, giving part of the royal prerogatives to the Archbishop of Gniezno , Pełka . The success was complete and Odonic, wanting to save his power and convinced by the Archbishop, agreed to make an agreement with Henry: he received the half of Greater Poland up to the Warta River, from Kalisz and Poznań ; shortly after, he installed there his son and heir, Henry

11300-492: Was delayed by the conquest of Wendish cities by the Danish king Eric VI Menved or by their feudal overlords between 1306 and 1319 and the restriction of their autonomy. Assemblies of the Hanse towns met irregularly in Lübeck for a Hansetag  [ de ] (Hanseatic Diet) – starting either around 1300, or possibly 1356. Many towns chose not to attend nor to send representatives, and decisions were not binding on individual cities if their delegates were not included in

11413-662: Was destroyed only three years after his death due to a completely unexpected event; the Mongolian invasions . In general historians agree that if the disaster at the Battle of Legnica had never happened, Poland would have been united in the middle of the 13th century, and avoided the territorial losses that occurred. As a capable politician Henry managed to make Silesia one of the most powerful states of fragmented Poland, and also tried to maintain peace in Greater and Lesser Poland during

11526-439: Was different from its original German form. It was combined with a set of civil and criminal laws, and adjusted to include the urban planning popular across Western Europe – which was based (more or less) on the ancient Roman model. Meanwhile, country people often ignorant of the actual German text, practiced the old common law of Poland in private relations. Local variants of Magdeburg law were created, such as Środa law based on

11639-643: Was executed in 1209, so there was no marriage. In 1202 the Polish High Duke Mieszko III the Old died. He was from the Greater Polish branch of the royal Piast dynasty . Two opposing groups emerged: 1) Mieszko IV Tanglefoot (Henry's uncle), and Duke Władysław III Spindleshanks of Greater Poland (Mieszko III's son and successor), and 2) Dukes Leszek the White of Sandomierz , Konrad I of Masovia (sons of late High Duke Casimir II

11752-639: Was extremely strategically important. In 1234 Henryk decided to separate (under his authority) between the Upper Silesian co-Dukes Mieszko II and Władysław the Ziemia wieluńska as the common frontier, in return for which he assumed direct control over Opole. The conquest of Greater Poland caused later Polish historians to call Henry King of all Poland and the most powerful Piast Prince of his time . Unfortunately, this wasn't consistent with his real territorial and political state. Actually, each principality

11865-468: Was fostered by slow travel speeds: moving from Reval to Lübeck took between 4 weeks and, in winter, 4 months. In 1241, Lübeck, which had access to the Baltic and North seas' fishing grounds, formed an alliance—a precursor to the League—with the trade city of Hamburg, which controlled access to the salt-trade routes from Lüneburg . These cities gained control over most of the salt-fish trade, especially

11978-399: Was further complicated when Swedish nobles rebelled against Albert and invited Margaret. Albert was taken prisoner in 1389, but hired privateers in 1392, the socalled Victual Brothers , who took Bornholm and Visby in his name. They and their descendants threatened maritime trade between 1392 and the 1430s. Under the 1395 release agreement for Albert, Stockholm was ruled from 1395 to 1398 by

12091-557: Was governing both his Silesian Duchy and Kraków, and some Kraków nobles were not satisfied with the outcome of Henry's ruling as mostly not being used to his heavy-handedness in politics. In 1229 Henry met with Konrad in Spytkowice . During mass , Konrad's knights took Henry prisoner and wounded several of his men. Henry was imprisoned in Płock Castle, and Henry II the Pious , Henry's I eldest surviving son and heir, became regent of

12204-457: Was influential in developing the trade with Sweden and Norway, and his sons Wolf and Burghard Moldenhauer established themselves in Bergen and Stockholm, becoming leaders of the local Hanseatic activities. King Edward IV of England reconfirmed the league's privileges in the Treaty of Utrecht despite the latent hostility, in part thanks to the significant financial contribution the League made to

12317-600: Was more attractive than Schleswig . It became a transshipment port for trade between the North Sea and the Baltics. Lübeck also granted extensive trade privileges to Russian and Scandinavian traders. It was the main supply port for the Northern Crusades , improving its standing with various Popes. Lübeck gained imperial privileges to become a free imperial city in 1226, under Valdemar II of Denmark during

12430-592: Was not possible for the Rhine where trade retained an open character. Digging canals for trade was uncommon, although the Stecknitz Canal was built between Lübeck and Lauenburg from 1391 to 1398. Starting with trade in coarse woolen fabrics, the Hanseatic League increased both commerce and industry in northern Germany. As trade increased, finer woolen and linen fabrics, and even silks, were manufactured in northern Germany. The same refinement of products out of

12543-524: Was now in a difficult situation. He owed a debt of gratitude to the archbishop, who helped him at the beginning of his reign, but he decided to support Władysław III. He gave the newly acquired Kalisz to Odonic, except for Poznań , causing a temporary rift between Henry and Władysław III. In 1208, the relationship was mended during a meeting in Głogów. In 1210 Pope Innocent III excommunicated High Duke Leszek. Mieszko IV Tanglefoot quickly conquered Kraków and took

12656-458: Was obtained under duress. Meanwhile, the lesser nobles were finding Konrad 's rule harsh. Konrad took Duchy of Sandomierz from young Bolesław V , giving it to his own son, Bolesław . Henry I and Władysław III planned a military expedition to recover Greater Poland. The expedition against Konrad, undertaken in 1231, ended in a defeat at the walls of Gniezno ; but, luckily for Henry, Władysław III died unexpectedly in Środa Śląska , killed by

12769-903: Was pressured by temporarily moving the Hanseatic emporium to Aardenburg from 1280 to 1282, from 1307 or 1308 to 1310 and in 1350, to Dordt in 1358 and 1388, and to Antwerp in 1436. Boycotts against Norway in 1284 and Flanders in 1358 nearly caused famines. They sometimes resorted to military action. Several Hanseatic cities maintained their warships and in times of need, repurposed merchant ships. Military action against political powers often involved an ad hoc coalition of stakeholders, called an alliance ( tohopesate ). As an essential part of protecting their investments, League members trained pilots and erected lighthouses, including Kõpu Lighthouse . Lübeck erected in 1202 what may be northern Europe's first proper lighthouse in Falsterbo . By 1600 at least 15 lighthouses had been erected along

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