Annual Conference of the Hanseatic History Society in Lübeck

Lübeck’s imperial freedom, once even justified by a forged Barbarossa charter, stands as a prime example of urban self-assertion and political agency. Without such autonomous cities, the Hanseatic League as a trading and power alliance would scarcely have been conceivable. Even long after the Middle Ages, Lübeck’s autonomy continued to shape politics, urban identity and historiography. Hanseatic history was always more than the account of past events: it also served to interpret the present and legitimise social orders.

The conference venue, the European Hansemuseum, offers an ideal setting for engaging with power discourses grounded in history: How is history told – and by whom? Which narratives are emphasised, which suppressed? And how do museums, politics and academia contribute to the interpretation of the past? Between medieval power politics and modern culture of remembrance, this opens up a broad space for discussions on power, narration and interpretative authority – and on how history is not merely remembered, but constantly renegotiated.

Please note that the main conference language is German.

Further information on the event.