In the 1280s, a confederation of German merchants developed a trading monopoly  in the Baltic, linking towns and creating commercial enclaves including the Norwegian town of Bergen.   By the close of the 13th Century all these German trading associations, covering most ports in the area, were bound into a single Europe wide conglomerate called the Hanseatic League.  Their impact was not only in commerce, but ranged through activities of everyday life.  These German merchants worked and lived in Bergen until 1750.

Their buildings lined the port of Bergen, all made of wood were used for brokering deals and providing areas for providing meals and accommodations.  I mention the timber construction, for despite having separate quarters for work and cooking,  with strict prohibitions of open flames in any rooms other than the living quarters, two of the trading houses  burnt to the ground and had to be rebuilt in 1702.  Today, these buildings  house the Hanseatic Museum which provides an authentic view  of daily lives of The Hanseatic League merchants who lived and worked in Bergen.

While the outside alleys surrounding this area were architecturally quite interesting:

The overall look of the interior of the buildings were stark and frankly gloomy since  electrification of Bergen’s buildings  didn’t occur until the end of the 19th Century.  At the time of the Hanseatic Period  – rooms were lit either by natural light during the day and by oil lamps and candles at night In addition, due to the open flames prohibition there were no fireplaces for heat or torches for light.  Considering the long, dark, freezing Norwegian winters, this had to be quite depressing and uncomfortable.

Unsurprisingly there was heavy use of alcohol, including imported wine and large quantities of locally supplied beer, during Bergen’s Hanseatic period, leading to widespread excessive drinking, fights, and even deaths.  The dynamics of this reminded be of the the bad behavior sometimes in college fraternities.  For one,  the inhabitants  were mostly unmarried  men who worked for several years before returning home. This structure fostered an insular, male-dominated culture where alcohol played a central role in social bonding and group identity.  Two, initiation rituals, called spelen, were  part of the Hanseatic drinking culture. Apprentices were forced to endure cruel and humiliating hazing rituals involving vast quantities of alcohol to earn their place in the community.  Not a setting for gentlemanly behavior.

Sadly, there appeared to visually be little to occupy one’s attention.  Here are the assembly rooms:

1st

There was one brightly colored designed door which was fairly common:

I can’t imagine this design was at all helpful once the men were inebriated.

Set apart from the trading office buildings  was the Schøtstuene , an area of stone structures which housed the assembly rooms where the Hanseatic merchants met to prepare and share meals and hold meetings and important discussions. Besides the assembly rooms, the Schøtstuene also had a kitchen, courtrooms, teaching classrooms and party rooms.

Here are some photos of the “kitchens:”

 

 

In closing here was one incongruous “painting” – watch very carefully:

#