The New Hanse: Modern Revival of the Hanseatic League
The New Hanse, also known as the Hanseatic League of New Time or the Die Hanse, is the international association of cities that has promoted the common heritage of the Hanseatic League since 1980. The New Hanse was founded in Zwolle, in the Netherlands, in 1980, and the association has grown steadily since its foundation. Today, the New Hanse has more than two hundred member cities in more than twenty countries, from Bergen in Norway to Riga in Latvia, from Bruges in Belgium to Berlin in Germany.
Foundation and growth
The New Hanse was founded in response to a growing interest in the Hanseatic heritage in the 1970s, and the New Hanse was, in many ways, a response to the European integration of the 1970s. The New Hanse was an attempt to create a network of cities that could promote their common interests in the new Europe, and the New Hanse was an attempt to revive, in a modern form, the traditions of cooperation that had made the medieval League great.
The New Hanse is principally a cultural and economic association, and the activities of the New Hanse are focused on the promotion of the common heritage of the member cities, the encouragement of cultural and economic exchange, and the development of common positions on matters of European policy. The principal activities of the New Hanse are the annual international Hansetag, the regional Hansetage, the Hansemuseum of Lübeck, the Hansetag Youth, and the Hansa Tourism Prize.
Structure
The New Hanse is organised into twelve regional chapters, each of which covers a particular area of the Hanseatic world. The principal chapters are the Netherlands, the Rhineland and Westphalia, the Wendish district, the Baltic states, Poland, and Scandinavia. Each chapter has its own Hansetag, and the chapters send representatives to the international Hansetag, which is the principal decision-making body of the New Hanse.
The New Hanse has been the subject of considerable debate, and the debates have been about the meaning and the purpose of the modern revival. Some members of the New Hanse have argued that the New Hanse should be a political force in the European Union, and that the New Hanse should develop common positions on matters of European policy. Other members have argued that the New Hanse should be a cultural association, and that the New Hanse should not become involved in political matters.
A success story
Whatever the outcome of these debates, the New Hanse has been remarkably successful in promoting the common heritage of the Hanseatic cities. The Hansemuseum of Lübeck, which opened in 2015, has been a major cultural success, and the annual Hansetag has been a major cultural event. The New Hanse has also been successful in promoting the study of the Hanseatic League, and the New Hanse has been an important source of support for the academic study of the medieval League.