Hanse

HANSE

The Hanseatic League was developed in the 13th century to protect merchants and traders during their voyages. The league, was a militarized coalition with it's own market towns that had their own laws to protect traders from being taken advantage of. These cities were thought to be able to battle well established countries such as France and England (however the war with Denmark didn't immediately show promising results) and at sea the League had developed a reputation for fighting off pirates.
However, the League's creation of monopolies and their royal like privileges cause tensions with the locals at their ports. This eventually lead to the demise of the league over the next couple of centuries until 1862. 

Today, the "new hanse" (circa 1980), has been reborn open to former members of the Hanse.