The Hansemuseum of Lübeck
The European Hansemuseum, opened in 2015 in Lübeck, is the most comprehensive museum of the Hanseatic heritage. The museum is housed in a striking new building near the Holstentor, and the museum tells the story of the Hanseatic League from its origins in the late twelfth century to the present day. The museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city.
The exhibitions
The museum’s exhibitions cover the full range of the Hanseatic heritage. The museum’s principal exhibition tells the story of the League’s history, beginning with the merchant guilds of the eleventh and twelfth centuries and continuing through the golden age, the late period, and the decline. The exhibition includes a remarkable collection of artefacts, including coins, documents, ceramics, and works of art, and the exhibition is one of the most important collections of Hanseatic artefacts on public display.
A useful architectural note: the museum building, designed by the Danish firm Tegnestuen Vandkunsten and the Berlin-based Studio Andreas Heller, is itself worth a visit. The building combines a 19th-century Getreidespeicher (granary) with new structures, and the result is a complex that incorporates the historical fabric of the city’s Hanseatic-era commercial architecture. The building was the subject of considerable controversy when it opened, with some critics arguing that the new construction is too prominent; the museum’s curators argue that the building makes the Hanseatic presence physically felt in a way that a traditional museum could not.
The museum also contains a number of special exhibitions. The museum’s special exhibitions have covered topics ranging from the daily life of the Hanseatic merchants to the architecture of the Hanseatic cities, from the trade routes of the League to the modern revival of the Hanseatic idea. The special exhibitions are, in many ways, the most innovative part of the museum, and the special exhibitions are one of the principal reasons for the museum’s popularity.
A centre of research
The museum is also a centre of research on the Hanseatic League. The museum has a research department, and the research department is responsible for the study of the Hanseatic heritage. The research department has produced a number of important publications, and the research department is one of the principal centres of Hanseatic studies in the German-speaking world.
A useful research note: the museum’s archives include a substantial collection of the Hanserezesse (the official record of the Hansetags) and other primary documents, and the archives are accessible to researchers. The museum’s research department also coordinates with the Lübecker Stadtarchiv, which holds the Lübisches Recht and other medieval municipal records, and with the Hansischer Geschichtsverein, the principal academic association for Hanseatic studies.
A centre of education
The museum is also a centre of education. The museum has an education department, and the education department is responsible for the development of educational materials for schools and for the public. The education department has produced a number of important educational materials, and the education department is one of the principal sources of Hanseatic education in Germany and in Europe.
A specific note: the museum’s school programmes include reconstructions of medieval coin-minting, medieval cargo-handling, and medieval navigation, and the school programmes are popular with both German and international school groups. The programmes are designed to make the Hanseatic past tangible to children, and the programmes are a useful counterweight to the museum’s more academic offerings.
A modern landmark
The museum is, in many ways, a fitting tribute to the Hanseatic heritage of Lübeck. The museum is housed in a striking new building near the Holstentor, and the museum’s location is, in itself, a reminder of the city’s Hanseatic past. The museum is, in this sense, one of the most important cultural institutions of the modern Hanse, and the museum is an important part of the modern Hanseatic identity.