Matthew Schoening

German 101

Sep 17 2014

Hanse

Trade in the middle ages was a high risk high reward gamble and there was only safety in numbers. To be a successful merchant you needed to have connections to help you get goods so that you could bring them other places and sell them for a profit or to add to your goods to make something better. You needed to know what people wanted to buy according to the region and what their interests were. The Hanse were very successful at trading and held a good claim at the free ports where people bought and sold goods. They were also effective at sailing which at the time was a dangerous adventure with minimal equipment and navigational tools. The Hanse also took over Copenhagen and then continued on to fort Halsingborg but were out witted by the Swedish and force to return home. 

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~baronfum/hansa.html Web Sep 17 2014