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For this year's study weekend, the German Society chose the old Hanseatic city of Lübeck near the Baltic coast. We began with the traditional networking dinner on 15 September, with the perfect mix of good food and animated conversation. The following morning, the German Society Chair, Stephanie Tarling, opened the proceedings at the Hanse Museum, a new-build dedicated to the history of this fascinating commercial association. Horst Wernicke gave the first talk, arousing the audience's interest in the Hanseatic trade network – a subject that has the habit, as he said, of eluding the researcher whenever they think they have finally got the entire picture. The word 'Hanse' comes from the Middle Low German word for 'group'. And that is exactly what the Hanse was – groups of merchants from specific towns or cities, with a mutual interest in trade and its advancement for everyone's benefit. However, Professor Wernicke stressed that it was not the precursor of the EU as we know it; life in the 13th-15th centuries – the heyday of the Hanse – was based on completely different premises. In Medieval times, merchants grouped together for mutual support and protection on long sea voyages, and to wring privileges from local rulers. It was never a union of states. Apart from fascinating details about the growth of the Hanseatic network – to Novgorod in the east, Britain in the west, and Spain and Portugal in the south – Wernicke offered insights into power politics of the time. In 1280, for example, the merchants staged a two-year boycott of Bruges, then the biggest trading post or 'Kontor'. The disastrous effect on the citizens of Bruges forced the city to reduce the tariffs that traders were obliged to pay. The Hansische Geschichtsverein was founded in Lübeck in 1871 for the purpose of studying Hanseatic history. German scholars in the late 19th and early 20th century saw the historical Hanse as proof that Germany needed to be a major sea power again. A few years later, the eastern trade of the 'German Hanse' was cited as justification for the Nazi insistence on Lebensraum (a concept of settler colonialism) in the east. The post-war period brought the division of Germany, which greatly hampered the work of Hanse historians. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1990, non-German cities that had been part of the Hanse network discovered an interest in its history and the New Hanseatic League was founded. Dr Paul Richards then talked about the British towns that traded with the Hanse, including London, King's Lynn, Ipswich and Yarmouth. All trace of the London Kontor is now buried under Cannon Street Station, but King's Lynn still has its Hanse House, granted by Edward IV in 1475. No non- Germans were allowed on these sites unless invited, a privilege won by the Hanse in return for lending money to the Crown. King's Lynn flourished on trade with the Hanse. By the late 1300s, ships from England were venturing as far as Danzig and other Baltic ports. Medieval Britain exported vast quantities of wool and cloth, but it was a surprise to hear that salt was also a popular export, needed by the herring fishers of mainland Europe in enormous amounts. But relations were not always cosy; Dr Richards pointed out that German and English merchants clashed frequently, and piracy was a permanent threat. Störtebeker, the pirate from Hamburg, was said to have taken 300 ships by 1393. But the tale has a happy ending: King's Lynn is now a member of the New Hanseatic League, dedicated to economic, cultural and business links. Our third speaker, Christopher Scholl, gave a personal account of his upbringing in three cultures: German, English and the military. A post-war baby, born to a German mother and British father serving in the forces, he shared fascinating childhood memories of Lübeck. After lunch, there was a guided tour of the Hanse Museum, which is skilfully arranged to convey a complete sense of Hanseatic life. The guide was a mine of information as we explored everything from a cloth and fur market to a meeting hall where the important men of the day gathered. This informative day ended with dinner, and some of our number performing acts on maritime themes, including poems about smugglers, Irish mouth music and a gripping Norse saga. The weekend closed with a difficult choice between a boat trip around Lübeck or a walking tour led by Christopher Scholl, followed by lunch at a riverside restaurant. See www.ciol.org.uk/german-society for details of the next study weekend in Vienna on 14-16 September. 32 The Linguist Vol/56 No/6 2017 www.ciol.org.uk INSTITUTE MATTERS In good Hanse DIVISIONS & SOCIETIES ANGELA WECKLER DISCOVERS THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE HANSE AT THE GERMAN SOCIETY STUDY WEEKEND IN LÜBECK