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The German Hansa;
English, French (translation)
474 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 27, 2025
Must be about 40 years ago that I read, that I read the translation of the original edition. The approach of the original has withstood the test of time, when it comes to detail, the enormous growth of new knowledge had to be taken into account. Nils Jörn and Volker Henn took the task to update the book, on the one hand this was quite useful, on the other hand it is also the reason which finally convinced me not to give the book five stars, because in my opinion such alterations should be made transparent.
No other book I know deals with the German Hansa with such detail, from its beginnings (which are also related to the beginnings of he city of Lübeck) until its final demise in 1669. Unlike other works Dillinger deals only briefly with the administration of the remaining Hanseatic institutions by Lübeck, Hamburg and Bremen well into the 19th century. More attention is paid to trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea before the emergence of the Hansa, and the decisive role Cologne played in the early period.
Whereas other histories of the Hansa focus very much on its role in Northern and Eastern Europe Dollinger highlights the close connections of the this association with the Western and South Eastern European powers including its involvement in the Rose Wars. He deals with the unclear status of the association (of merchants? of trading cities?) which the Hansa at times used to its advantage, but which finally turned out to be one of its weak points. Much attention is paid to the constant conflicts of interest between specific cities and regional subsections, as well as the conflicts with the emerging principalities against which many smaller members could not defend their independence. Finally the Hansa had to compete against better organized forces, in particular the Netherlands, but also the Merchant Adventurers and the South German trading houses. So the Hansa slowly lost its importance. Lübeck, Cologne, Bremen, Danzig and increasingly Hamburg remained important centers of trade, but for that they did no longer rely on the Hansa.
Philippe Dollinger was born in Strasbourg under German rule in 1904, and German was as usual back then in Alsace his mother tongue. He studied at the now French university in his hometown in the 1920s when Marc Bloch, Charles-Edmond Perrin and Lucien Febvre prepared the ground for the Annales school. The work clearly shows the influence of that approach, but it is luckily also free from its excesses. Dollinger pays much attention to the economic and technological development, as well as the cultural history. But he does never go so far to neglect the development of institutions and above all events.
No other book I know deals with the German Hansa with such detail, from its beginnings (which are also related to the beginnings of he city of Lübeck) until its final demise in 1669. Unlike other works Dillinger deals only briefly with the administration of the remaining Hanseatic institutions by Lübeck, Hamburg and Bremen well into the 19th century. More attention is paid to trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea before the emergence of the Hansa, and the decisive role Cologne played in the early period.
Whereas other histories of the Hansa focus very much on its role in Northern and Eastern Europe Dollinger highlights the close connections of the this association with the Western and South Eastern European powers including its involvement in the Rose Wars. He deals with the unclear status of the association (of merchants? of trading cities?) which the Hansa at times used to its advantage, but which finally turned out to be one of its weak points. Much attention is paid to the constant conflicts of interest between specific cities and regional subsections, as well as the conflicts with the emerging principalities against which many smaller members could not defend their independence. Finally the Hansa had to compete against better organized forces, in particular the Netherlands, but also the Merchant Adventurers and the South German trading houses. So the Hansa slowly lost its importance. Lübeck, Cologne, Bremen, Danzig and increasingly Hamburg remained important centers of trade, but for that they did no longer rely on the Hansa.
Philippe Dollinger was born in Strasbourg under German rule in 1904, and German was as usual back then in Alsace his mother tongue. He studied at the now French university in his hometown in the 1920s when Marc Bloch, Charles-Edmond Perrin and Lucien Febvre prepared the ground for the Annales school. The work clearly shows the influence of that approach, but it is luckily also free from its excesses. Dollinger pays much attention to the economic and technological development, as well as the cultural history. But he does never go so far to neglect the development of institutions and above all events.
May 7, 2017
I find the Hanseatic League fascinating. It stood somewhere between being a proto-EFTA and a medieval multinational conglomerate. The league's "Kontore" became trading outposts from coldest Russia to tropical King's Lynn. In all, it facilitated an economic boom long before the more famous Dutch golden age.
The Hansa remains a great source of pride in Germany and lends it's name to the country's national airline. What I personally find appealing about the Hansa is this network of trading city-states stood as independent entities presided over by councils and focused on generating wealth, rather than subjugated territories presided over by monarchs and focused on war (which most of Europe was at the time). Even now, the cities of Bremen and Hamburg are titled "Free and Hanseatic" and the cities alone each make up a federal state of Germany. The Hansa cut a different path at a time when the two greatest medieval preoccupations were 1) the church and 2) acquisition of territory. This is, however, not to say that the Hansa were not obsessed by pilgrimage or averse to conflict. Such is the nature of free trade: one profits whilst another suffers a loss. The Hansa was prone to stimulating German immigration into Danish, Dutch and Slavic towns (both invited and uninvited) for their own economic and political needs and had a habit of imposing unbalanced trade conditions, blockading towns and choking trade whenever it didn't get it's way.
The book is easy to read yet scholarly in style (the copy I bought had been withdrawn from the circulation of the library of a now-defunct college of the University of London). Despite the appendices at the back I would have liked to have seen more primary sources used within the main text. I really enjoyed the chapter detailing the day-to-day lives of the merchants and it gave a good insight into their careers, balance sheets and the unique culture of the individuals that made the league. As with all works translated from another language, I am dubious whether the author's same written flow has been faithfully replicated (there are small but noticeable spelling mistakes in the text). It is a great general work on the Hanseatic league and essential for those with an interest in European history but would not appeal to those without a specific interest such as economic historians and nerds like me.
The Hansa remains a great source of pride in Germany and lends it's name to the country's national airline. What I personally find appealing about the Hansa is this network of trading city-states stood as independent entities presided over by councils and focused on generating wealth, rather than subjugated territories presided over by monarchs and focused on war (which most of Europe was at the time). Even now, the cities of Bremen and Hamburg are titled "Free and Hanseatic" and the cities alone each make up a federal state of Germany. The Hansa cut a different path at a time when the two greatest medieval preoccupations were 1) the church and 2) acquisition of territory. This is, however, not to say that the Hansa were not obsessed by pilgrimage or averse to conflict. Such is the nature of free trade: one profits whilst another suffers a loss. The Hansa was prone to stimulating German immigration into Danish, Dutch and Slavic towns (both invited and uninvited) for their own economic and political needs and had a habit of imposing unbalanced trade conditions, blockading towns and choking trade whenever it didn't get it's way.
The book is easy to read yet scholarly in style (the copy I bought had been withdrawn from the circulation of the library of a now-defunct college of the University of London). Despite the appendices at the back I would have liked to have seen more primary sources used within the main text. I really enjoyed the chapter detailing the day-to-day lives of the merchants and it gave a good insight into their careers, balance sheets and the unique culture of the individuals that made the league. As with all works translated from another language, I am dubious whether the author's same written flow has been faithfully replicated (there are small but noticeable spelling mistakes in the text). It is a great general work on the Hanseatic league and essential for those with an interest in European history but would not appeal to those without a specific interest such as economic historians and nerds like me.
December 23, 2025
Very dense in content yet rewarding for the patient reader, Dollinger describes in extensive yet relatively approachable detail the long history of the great north German merchant league, all the way from it's modest beginnings to its final downfall in the aftermath of the thirty years' war. Dollinger showcases admirable quality in avoiding obfuscating or overwhelming presentation in what by default is a maddeningly obscure and convoluted topic. While the book does demand from its reader good skills at concentration and comprehension, the vibrant description of the development of the Baltic sea trade, and the gradually (and during wartimes often abruptly) shifting tides of its dynamics keep the narrative constantly refreshing and on the move.
For the unavoidable gripes with the book, issues standing out are the dire lack of a glossary, a rough timeline of important events, and visualizations of the structures of the Hansa itself along with some of the important local communities (the four Kontore in particular). While remembering everything tackled during the span of the work isn't necessary for following it to the finish, these conveniences would've helped to attenuate the occasional and often quite strong feelings of disorientation amidst the immense complexity of the narrative. From the perspective of a contemporary academic reader the lack of exact footnotes is also unfortunate, in spite of being partly remedied by the extensive chapter specific bibliographies, along with an included invaluable collection of English translations for many of the documents referenced to in the main text.
Beyond these minor setbacks, the main issue with the work is a most cruel one: the lack of easy and inexpensive availability for those desiring to obtain it today. Out of print for half a century, paperback editions can climb up way past a hundred dollars, with hardcovers going off for even as high as 600 euros. For those with the money to spare, or an access to a digital scan, there is fortunately value to every page of this brilliant and important piece of research.
For the unavoidable gripes with the book, issues standing out are the dire lack of a glossary, a rough timeline of important events, and visualizations of the structures of the Hansa itself along with some of the important local communities (the four Kontore in particular). While remembering everything tackled during the span of the work isn't necessary for following it to the finish, these conveniences would've helped to attenuate the occasional and often quite strong feelings of disorientation amidst the immense complexity of the narrative. From the perspective of a contemporary academic reader the lack of exact footnotes is also unfortunate, in spite of being partly remedied by the extensive chapter specific bibliographies, along with an included invaluable collection of English translations for many of the documents referenced to in the main text.
Beyond these minor setbacks, the main issue with the work is a most cruel one: the lack of easy and inexpensive availability for those desiring to obtain it today. Out of print for half a century, paperback editions can climb up way past a hundred dollars, with hardcovers going off for even as high as 600 euros. For those with the money to spare, or an access to a digital scan, there is fortunately value to every page of this brilliant and important piece of research.
May 31, 2018
Very slow reading but it answered my question: What was the Hanseatic League?
The League was a group of Northern German town which banded together for trade and became very powerful in their time.
The book written in the 1960's so there was nothing in it that may have been discovered since then.
Informative but not an easy read.
The League was a group of Northern German town which banded together for trade and became very powerful in their time.
The book written in the 1960's so there was nothing in it that may have been discovered since then.
Informative but not an easy read.
Want to read
April 21, 2015dfdfg
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews