Hanseatic League

Wesel joined the Hanseatic League in 1407!

In the Middle Ages, the Hanseatic League was the most important trade and economic association of around 200 harbour and inland towns in northern Europe. The organisation, which was shaped by long-distance merchants, ensured a prosperous upswing for its members for around 400 centuries and had a lasting impact on the cityscapes.

Imported goods from the Netherlands and Westphalia made Wesel's favourable location on the Rhine one of the most important stacking and transhipment points after Cologne in the 15th century. The town gained such an influential position that it was recognised as one of the five suburbs of the Cologne Hanseatic Quarter at the Lübeck Hanseatic Convention in 1447.

Here you will find everything you need to know about Hanseatic life in Wesel yesterday and today.