The youthHansa is the youth organization of the HANSE and thus an integral component of the HANSE. Every year Hanseatic cities send young delegates ranging from 16 and 25 years of age to take part in the delegation meetings of the youthHansa and the Hanseatic Days. Our aim is to

• promote the exchange of views and experiences concerning youth issues
• develop specific youth projects between the Hanseatic cities
• promote school partnerships and youth exchanges
• improve the mutual understanding between young people from the Hanseatic cities
• bring non-organized young people and youth groups together in order to strengthen the sense of community between the Hanseatic cities and their young inhabitants.

The concept of the youthHansa was introduced for the first time in 1998 when the Hanseatic city of Visby, Sweden invited young delegates to a youth forum. On account of the positive resonance, the HANSE decided to invite the young delegates on a regular basis and this resulted in the founding of the youthHansa. They developed their own statute, which was incorporated into the statute of the HANSE only two years later. Since then, a network of young people developed that makes an essential contribution international understanding within Europe.

The Hanseatic Youth Commission (HYC) comprises five young people who are entitled to vote and who have equal rights and duties. It represents the youthHansa outside of the Hansa Conventions and coordinates the necessary organisational measures. There is no Chairperson, but the members of the Commission determine one (or at most two) Spokesperson(s) who represent the youthHansa at Assembly meetings of the HANSE and at Commission meetings of the HANSE, and on official occasions. Allocation of seats is regulated as follows:

• The Hanseatic City of Lübeck has a standing seat in the Hanseatic Youth Commission. That symbolises the traditional Presidency of Lübeck in the historic Hanseatic League. The Lübeck delegate is elected for a term of two years, and may be re-elected.
• The two Hanseatic towns/cities in which the subsequent Hansa Conventions are to be held each have one seat in the Hanseatic Youth Commission. They are likewise elected for a term of two years.
• The other two seats in the Hanseatic Youth Commission are allocated on proposal from all the youth delegates at a Hansa Convention, by simple majority. They are elected for a term of two years, and may be re-elected.

The last election of the youthHansa Commission took place at the Hanseatic Day 2014 in Lübeck, Germany. Therefore, the elected Delegates are in the youthHansa Commission till the next election, which will be in 2016 at the Hanseatic Day in Bergen, Norway.