Discover the Hanseatic League: Free museum tour in Lübeck in October!

Discover the Hanseatic League: Free museum tour in Lübeck in October!

On September 18, 2025 the European Hanseatic Museum a special museum tour for students. The event will take place on October 26th and will be organized in two groups starting at 11:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. The tour is free of charge, but participation is based on the “first come – first served” principle. To ensure that there are enough places available, registration is required. Anyone interested can contact museumsgang(at)uni-luebeck(dot)de by email until the Thursday before the Sunday tours.

The European Hanseatic Museum, which opened in May 2015, covers almost 12,000 square meters and combines modern and historical elements in its architecture. The new building includes a restaurant with a roof terrace as well as the former Dominican convent, the castle monastery, which is supplemented by historic court and prison rooms. A church square, confessional house and playground are also part of the museum area.

Cultural and educational center

The museum combines spatial settings, true-to-original exhibits, modern museum technology and interactive offerings to convey the history of the Hanseatic League and its effects up to the present day. It represents an important cultural and educational center for the history of the Hanseatic League and works closely with the affiliated Research center for the history of the Hanseatic League and the Baltic Sea region together to make current research results accessible. Prof. Dr. Jens-Martin Träder runs the museum in close collaboration with alumni, friends and supporters of the University of Lübeck e.V.

The Hanseatic League, the most important trading network of the Middle Ages, not only influenced the economy, but also shaped the modern understanding of trade and political cooperation in Europe. Lübeck, which was rebuilt by Henry the Lion in 1159, developed into a central trading location in the Baltic Sea region. The Hanseatic League, which emerged from a northern German trading system, mobilized numerous cities operating in the Baltic Sea trade since the 9th century.

In the 13th century, the League dominated trade between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and pioneered strategic trade agreements. The foundation stone for this was laid in 1241 with the alliance between Lübeck and Hamburg. Historically, the Hanseatic cities formed a network of 70 to 170 cities that supported each other. The League was involved in conflicts, including the Danish-Hanseatic War (1361-1370), and reached its peak in the 15th century.

A legacy of the Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League left behind an important cultural heritage, recognizable in the brick Gothic style that characterizes many cities in northern Germany. Despite further institutional challenges over the centuries, cities such as Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck maintained an important role until the league's formal dissolution in 1862. Many historians consider the Hanseatic League to be a forerunner of today's supranational models such as the European Union, which underlines the historical relevance of this trading community. The one that has now been founded “New Hanseatic League”, launched in 1979, aims to restore historical connections between cities.