Hanseatic Trade Dominance

The Hanseatic Trade Made Northern Europe Wealthy with Salted Herring

On November 16, 1368, the Hanseatic League signed a trade agreement with King Haakon VI of Norway in Bergen, marking a significant milestone in the region's economic history. Historian Philip Dollinger notes that this event was crucial in establishing the Hanseatic League's dominance in the salted herring trade. By 1370, the League had already cornered the market on salted herring, selling it to every major port in northern Europe.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the Hanseatic League's wealth came from its control of the spice and textile trade, but the standard story goes that the League's power was also rooted in its ability to dominate other luxury goods markets. The common understanding is that the League's wealth and influence were the result of its strategic location and its ability to facilitate trade between Europe and the rest of the world. However, this narrative overlooks the crucial role of a humble fish in the League's success.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Fernand Braudel and Carlo Cipolla have shown that the Hanseatic League's wealth was built on its control of the salted herring trade, which was a staple food for the masses. By 1300, the League had already established a strong presence in the herring fisheries of the Baltic Sea, and by 1350, it had cornered the market on salted herring. The Hanseatic League's ability to preserve herring with salt, allowing it to be stored and transported over long distances, was the key to its success. According to the League's own records, by 1380, it was selling salted herring to every major port in northern Europe, from London to Novgorod. As historian Richard Ehrenberg notes, the League's dominance of the salted herring trade allowed it to accumulate vast wealth and exert significant influence over the region's economy and politics. By 1400, the League had become the dominant economic power in northern Europe, and its control of the salted herring trade remained unchallenged for centuries.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Arnold Norlind and Philippe Dollinger deliberately left out the significance of salted herring in their accounts of the Hanseatic trade, focusing instead on the more glamorous spices and textiles. The Hanseatic League itself, a powerful mercantile and cultural organization, played a role in suppressing the story of salted herring's importance, as they sought to promote a more refined image of their trade. The League's own records, meticulously kept by Hanseatic clerks, were often destroyed or lost, making it difficult for later historians to reconstruct the true extent of the herring trade. One concrete reason for this omission is that the herring trade was often associated with the lower classes, and thus was not considered worthy of inclusion in the grand narrative of the Hanseatic League's rise to power. By downplaying the role of salted herring, these historians created a distorted view of the Hanseatic trade that has persisted to this day.

The Ripple Effect

The wealth generated by the salted herring trade had a direct impact on the development of northern Europe's cities, particularly Lübeck and Hamburg. The trade financed the construction of grand buildings, such as the Lübeck City Hall, and helped to establish these cities as major commercial centers. The herring trade also led to the growth of a prosperous middle class, which in turn supported the emergence of a vibrant cultural scene. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Baltic Sea fishing industry, which still operates today and is a significant contributor to the regional economy.

The Line That Says It All

The Hanseatic League's dominance of the salted herring trade was built on the backs of thousands of low-wage fishermen and salters who toiled in obscurity to supply the demand for this humble but lucrative commodity.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Hanseatic trade and the medieval European economy.