German word

Hanse

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhanzə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounHanseatic League

Example

Viele Städte gehörten zur Hanse.

Many cities belonged to the Hanseatic League.

Illustration for Hanse (Hanseatic League)

More examples

Viele Kaufleute schlossen sich der Hanse an.

Many merchants joined the Hanseatic League.

Core concept

A network of northern German trading cities joins forces to move goods and protect merchants across distant routes.

Common phrases

  • zur Hanse gehören

    belong to the Hanseatic League

  • Mitglied der Hanse

    member of the Hanseatic League

Similar words

Hansestadt: A city belonging to the Hanseatic League and important for trade.
Seefahrt: Seafaring and the transport of goods by ship.
Kontor: An overseas trading office for commerce and exchanging information.

Definition in German

Die Hanse war im Mittelalter ein Zusammenschluss vorwiegend norddeutscher Städte zur gemeinsamen Organisation von Fernhandel und Schutz der Handelsinteressen.

Word origin

Hanse comes from Middle Low German hanse, meaning a group or association, and later became specialized for this medieval trading league.

Usage tips

  • Hanse is feminine, so the historical organization is die Hanse, while the related adjective is hanseatisch, as in hanseatische Städte.

Related words

  • HanseatHanseatic League membernoun
  • hanseatischHanseaticadjective

Word lists with this word