30th International Hansa Convention in Pärnu (Estonia)

Pärnu, the host of the next great common festivities, held an important place in the Hanseatic League. Our city lies by the sea and at the mouth of Pärnu River, in Hansa times Pärnu was a port of transit.

Goods travelling from west to east included wines, woollen cloth for making clothes, handicraft. One of the most important goods at those times was salt. Goods travelling from east to west included wax, expensive furs, timber. Exotic merchandise also attracted the residents of Pärnu: they offered Hansa merchants grain and flax in exchange for their goods.

Documents recording this lively trading activity can still be found in the City Archive. The merchants of those times were not merely salesmen: they also contributed to cultural exchange. People copied each other’s clothing styles, books and works of arts were distributed, and the customs and traditions of each other were learned.

Pärnu - a city at the Baltic Sea - can be regarded as the Nordic pearl. It is a city that will soon celebrate 760 years of its first mention in history. Its first era of prosperity was during the 14^th and 15^th centuries when Pärnu was member of the Hanseatic League and an important commercial port

In the vicinity of Pärnu there is a place that marks the spot of the first human habitation in the Estonian territory. The first Estonian language newspaper was published in Pärnu and it was in Pärnu that the independence of the Republic of Estonia was proclaimed in 1918.

So, our home town, the Hanseatic City of Pärnu has an exciting history, a lively present and, as we all hope, a very special and joyful future.

Next year you will all have an opportunity to get to know our city and we hope to see many visitors from different Hanseatic Cities..

Each summer, the Pärnu Hanseatic Days take place with numerous concerts, dance performances and theatricals. A special medieval marketplace is set up where hundreds of craftsmen gather to manufacture and sell their goods. Workshops are provided for those interested. 

A major cultural festival will take place in 2010 - namely the 30^th International Hansa Convention will be organised by the City of Pärnu. Delegations from  Hanseatic towns all around Europe will convene. In cultural context every Hanseatic City has its own special place and our citizens are looking forward to meeting you all