The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.

It flourished from the 13th to the 17th century, monopolizing trade in the Baltic and North Seas.

The league's leading city was Lübeck, and other major members included Hamburg, Cologne, and Gdańsk (Danzig).

It traded bulk goods such as timber, grain, furs, and wax from the east, in exchange for cloth and manufactured goods from the west.

The league established its own trading posts, known as 'Kontore,' in foreign cities like London, Bruges, and Novgorod.

At its peak, the Hanseatic League was a major political power that could wage war, negotiate treaties, and enforce its own laws.

It operated its own armies and navies to protect its commercial interests from pirates and rival states.

The league was governed by a diet, or assembly (the Hansetag), though it met irregularly.

Its decline was caused by the rise of powerful nation-states like Sweden and Denmark, and the shifting of trade routes to the Atlantic.

The Hanseatic League played a crucial role in the economic development of Northern Europe.