The Splendour of the Hanseatic League: How Wealth Was Made in the Middle Ages

It is no exaggeration to say that much of Tallinn’s present-day stature is owed to its medieval past, whose rich legacy is evident both in the city’s streets and in its museums. Due to Livonia’s strategic location between resource-rich Russia and the economically developed West, trade flourished in its major centres. Tallinn, Tartu and Riga rose to the ranks of the most significant Hanseatic trading hubs.

At the heart of “The Splendour of the Hanseatic League: How Wealth Was Made in the Middle Ages” is the figure of the merchant. By following his journey, visitors gain insight into the Hanseatic system and how wealth and culture reached these lands during the Middle Ages. The exhibition presents objects that reflect this prosperity, previously unseen archaeological finds, and rare artefacts from Hamburg and Riga. It is fitting that the exhibition is held at the Great Guild Hall, the historic seat of Tallinn’s merchants, itself a silent witness to Hanseatic grandeur and a gem of Northern Europe’s commercial architecture.