Hanseatic Trade in Furs: From Russia to the West
The fur trade was one of the most valuable branches of the Hanseatic trade, and the fur trade was one of the principal sources of the wealth of the League’s merchants. The furs came principally from the vast forests of the Russian north, and the furs were brought to the great fairs of Novgorod by the merchants of the Russian hinterland. The furs were then sold to the merchants of the League, who carried the furs to the markets of the West.
The principal furs
The furs were particularly prized in the West, and the principal furs were sable, ermine, fox, marten, otter, and beaver. The furs were used principally for the trimming of garments, and the furs were a luxury item that was available only to the wealthiest members of society. The furs were also used for the making of hats, and the fur hats were a common article of dress among the wealthy.
League control
The fur trade was closely controlled by the League. The kontor at Novgorod, the Peterhof, had extensive privileges in the fur trade, and the merchants of the League were the principal channel through which Russian furs reached the markets of the West. The kontor at Novgorod was, in many ways, the principal centre of the fur trade, and the kontor’s merchants were the principal channel through which the furs reached the markets of the West.
A high-value business
The fur trade was a high-value business: a single sable pelt could be worth as much as a ton of grain, and the great furs were among the most valuable commodities in the medieval world. The fur trade was, accordingly, a major source of revenue for the League’s merchants, and the fur trade was one of the principal reasons for the League’s commercial dominance.
A source of conflict
The fur trade was, however, also a source of conflict. The Russian authorities were, in the late Middle Ages, increasingly interested in the fur trade, and they were determined to assert their control over the fur trade. Their attempts to assert control over the fur trade led to several conflicts with the League, and the conflicts were one of the principal causes of the wars between the League and Russia. The conflicts were also one of the principal causes of the closure of the Peterhof in 1474, which marked the end of the League’s fur trade with Russia.