Становление Ганзейского союза (X – первая половина XIV в.)
The Formation of the Hanseatic League (the 10th – First Half of the 14th Centuries)

Summary/Abstract: The era of the Middle Ages gave rise to a great variety of unions and structures based on a previously unknown corporate culture. Under the conditions of the global crisis in state building of the developed Middle Ages, these unions and structures could in the shortest possible time become cultural centers, as well as the places that attracted people, capitals, and goods. This situation bloomed in the end of the 11th century during the political crisis of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (Germany). The direct result was the formation of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic-North Sea region. Up to now, due to the poor understanding of the sources in Old German and Latin languages, the activity of the Hanseatic League has been assessed in Russian historiography from a single perspective only, which often led to factual errors. Using the textual analysis of the main concepts, the evolution of Hansa has been traced. It has been concluded that Hansa should be considered as a corporation of the Lübeck merchants, who wanted to get the highest possible profit and protect their economic interests.

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