Event report
This year鈥檚 study weekend took place in the old Hanseatic city of L眉beck near the Baltic coast. The event kicked off with a traditional networking dinner which hosted a mix of good food, pleasant surroundings and animated conversation with new and old friends and acquaintances.
The main study event began on Saturday morning in the Hanse Museum, a new building dedicated to the history of this commercial association. The proceedings were opened by German Society chairwoman Stephanie Tarling, where she welcomed the attendees and thanked Walter Chromik and Christopher Sholl for their support and enthusiasm.
Prof. Horst Wernicke D. Phil presented a talk about Hanseatic history and details about the growth of the Hanseatic trade network and power politics at that time.
Dr Paul Richards followed up with a talk about the British towns that traded with the Hanse and how their tradings took place.
Third speaker, Christopher Sholl, gave a personal account of his upbringing in three cultures, German, English and the military life. As a post-war baby born to a German mother and British father serving in the forces, he shared his childhood memories of L眉beck.
Attendees were also taken on a guided tour around the Hanse Museum, which was skilfully arranged to show a complete scene of Hanseatic life.
The weekend closed with a choice between a boat trip around L眉beck or a walking tour of L眉beck, taken by Christopher, and lunch at a riverside restaurant.
The 2017 study weekend will take us to L眉beck. This former capital and Queen City of the聽Hanseatic League was founded in the 12th century and prospered until the 16th century as聽the major trading centre for northern Europe. Despite the damage it suffered during the 2nd聽World War, the basic structure of the old city, consisting mainly of 15th and 16th century聽patrician residences, public monuments, churches and salt storehouses, remains unaltered.
Programme
Topic: The Hanseatic League 鈥� Myth and Reality
Dates: Friday 15 September 2017 鈥� Sunday 17 September 2017
Location: L眉beck ()
Language: Presentations will be in German and English and guided tours in English
Friday 15 September
Morning and/or afternoon (optional): Literary L眉beck 鈥� The city was home to celebrated聽writers Thomas and Heinrich Mann as well as G眉nter Grass. Arrive early and go on self-guided聽visits to the museums dedicated to these writers: 1. The Buddenbrooks House聽https://buddenbrookhaus.de/ (Map reference: D5) 2. G眉nter Grass Haus https://grasshaus.de/ (Map reference: D4)
Get-together from 7.00pm (but no later than 8.00pm, please) to kick-start the study weekend聽over a networking dinner at Restaurant Potters, An der Obertrave 9, 23552 L眉beck (Map聽reference: F7)
Saturday 16 September
We have already secured two speakers for our half-day Saturday morning conference, which聽will take place in the Europ盲isches Hansemuseum - An der Untertrave 1, 23552 L眉beck.聽(Map reference: B4). This is the largest museum in the world dedicated to the history of the聽Hansa.
Our speakers
Dr Paul Richards is an eminent local historian from King鈥檚 Lynn where he was the Mayor聽from 1998-2000. King鈥檚 Lynn was once a kontor (foreign trading post) of the Hanseatic聽League and it boasts the only surviving Hansa building in England. Dr Richards has a聽particular interest in the Hansa and has had essays published on Hanseatic history. He will聽give us a talk on 鈥淓ngland (and Scotland) & The Hanseatic League Past & Present鈥�.
Christopher Sholl is a retired teacher and a long-standing member of the GS. He has an聽abiding and intense interest in the city of L眉beck where he spent many summer holidays as a聽young boy. When he became a student Christopher worked during the summer on ships聽sailing from L眉beck following the old Hanseatic routes. Christopher will share his memories聽in an interactive session: 鈥淟眉beck and the Hansa during the Cold War 鈥� A personal memoir".聽
After the conference we will repair to the Museum鈥檚 restaurant for lunch after which there will聽be a guided tour through the . Thereafter you can spend some more time looking round the museum or go outside and聽stroll along the Trave or through the winding alleys of L眉beck鈥檚 old city.
Dinner will be at 7.00pm in the 鈥楢dmiralszimmer鈥� in the Ratskeller zu L眉beck, Markt 13,聽23552. (Map reference: E6). (This was the venue for a dinner during the G7 summit in 2015). Our meal will be followed by a 鈥榮oir茅e of songs and poems of the sea鈥�.
Sunday 17 September
On Sunday morning you can choose to go on a walking tour of old L眉beck, led by聽Christopher Sholl. Alternatively, you can join a boat tour, sit back, relax and see L眉beck聽from the water. We鈥檒l round off the weekend with lunch at a suitable venue.
Costs
In addition to your travel, accommodation and meal costs the GS will ask all participants for a contribution towards the cost of the weekend鈥檚 events. We expect this to be in the 鈧�30 range (a little more for non GS/好色tv members).
Travel
By plane: Hamburg is the closest international airport to L眉beck. From there you can take an
S-Bahn to Hamburg main station (journey time about 25 minutes). From there you can take a
Regional Express (RE) train directly to L眉beck main station. These trains run approx. every
30 minutes and the journey time is 45 minutes.
By train: below please find the shortest train journey times to L眉beck from major German
cities:
- Berlin 2 hours 38 minutes
- Cologne 5h
- Frankfurt/ Main 4h50m
- Hanover 2h12m
- Munich 6h26m
For train connections: please consult the .
Accommodation
We have not reserved a contingent of rooms. Below please find a selection of budget hotels聽with an indication of price per night. Please check the price before you book. Please make your own reservations (by email or telephone) directly with the hotels.
Close to the main station:
1. 聽(Map reference: E10)
Single room with breakfast starting at 鈧�51, double room with breakfast 鈧�77
2. 聽(Map reference: E8)
Single room with breakfast starting at 鈧�75 per night, double room with breakfast 鈧�104.50
3. (Map reference F9)
Single room with breakfast starting at 鈧�94 per night, double room with breakfast 鈧�128.00
Short bus ride from the main station 鈥�(Map reference: L6)
1.
Single room only starting at 鈧�45, double room only starting at 鈧�55 (breakfast: 鈧�7.50 p.p.)
2.
Single room only starting at 鈧�42, double room only starting at 鈧� 66 (breakfast: 鈧�7.50 p.p.)
Registration
If you鈥檇 like to join us in L眉beck in 2017 then please complete the 聽(.docx)聽and send it to the email address provided.
GS/好色tv members will be given priority until 31 March 2017.
If you have any questions please contact germansociety@ciol.org.uk.
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