A map of the expanse of the Hanseatic League, mostly known as Hansa (copyright: W. Heinemann / Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig). The Hanseatic League was a large commercial and also politico-military confederation of merchant guilds and commercial towns in North and Central Europe.

Below, the image of a cog, the main merchant and defence ship of the Early Hanseatic League (Credit/ Illustration: Bettina Schulz)