Hanseatic League

American  

noun

1. a medieval league of towns of northern Germany and adjacent countries for the promotion and protection of commerce.

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Hanseatic League British  

noun

1. Also called: Hansa.   Hanse.  a commercial association of towns in N Germany formed in the mid-14th century to protect and control trade. It was at its most powerful in the 15th century

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Example Sentences

In the 13th Century, the port was one of the most important in England and traded wool, cloth and salt with the Hanseatic League of central and northern Europe.

From BBC

In the Renaissance, this was the Steelyard, a community of German Hanseatic League merchants.

From The Guardian

Ditta, who oversaw the 3D scanning of the wreck, says that the ship offers a glimpse into Baltic trade before towns in the region formed a powerful trading group known as the Hanseatic League.

From Fox News

It’s not Google, Apple or Amazon; it’s more like Germany’s medieval Hanseatic League, a group of separate entities joined to protect and promote their individual interests.

From Los Angeles Times

That included the historic museum of the Hanseatic League, the medieval merchant powerhouse with posts around the Baltic.

From Seattle Times