From August 25 to November 26, 1989, the Museum of Hamburg History showcased the largest and most comprehensive exhibition on Hanseatic history to date. On this occasion, a two-volume catalog (text volume and exhibit descriptions) was created by a multitude of domestic and foreign Hanseatic researchers, which received such great acclaim that it quickly sold out and is now missing not only from many private libraries but also from several university and institutional libraries. The text volume of this catalog, which represents the latest state of Hanseatic research, has long become an indispensable handbook of Hanseatic history, surpassing the still prevalent comprehensive presentation by Philippe Dollinger in its diversity. In a revised new edition, now in a more convenient book format, it is once again made accessible not only to researchers but to all those interested in Hanseatic history. Table of contents (abridged): - The Hanse - Reality of life and myth - What was the Hanse? - Long-distance trade, markets, and fairs in pre- and early Hanseatic times - From the Hansen to the Hanse (1150-1300/50) - The great era of the Hanse: Illusory splendor of power (1300/50-1420) - Transformation and crisis (1420-1520) - On the way to the last journey (1520-1669) - The organization of the Hanse and its offices - Hanseatic cities - Rule and social order - Art in the Hanseatic city - Representation and mediation - Everyday life in the Hanseatic city - Commercial production and technology - Hanseatic trade and its prerequisites - Shipping and transport - Conflicts - Myth and legacy of the Hanse - Appendix.