News

There is always something going on in THE HANSA!
Here you will find news from the Union of Cities and its almost 200 Hanseatic member cities.

Old Town Laredo © Ayuntamiento de Laredo
5.05.2026

Photographic exhibition “A Journey through the Heritage of European Ports” in Laredo

On 19 May 2026, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Laredo will open the photographic exhibition “A Journey through the Heritage of European Ports” which links the cities and ports of the Hansa and highlights their international connections, at the Casa de Cantabria in Madrid. The Spanish city of Laredo has been a member of the international Union of Cities THE HANSA since 2024. Since joining, the city has been actively planning initiatives such as the photo exhibition shown here. 

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Reichfreiheitsprivileg Lübeck 1226 (Faksimile)
4.05.2026

New Exhibition at European Hansemuseum: Quite Privileged!

To mark the 800th anniversary of Lübeck’s imperial freedom, the European Hanseatic Museum is hosting a special exhibition entitled “Quite Privileged! Lübeck and Imperial Freedom”, organised by the Archives of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck.

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Swedish Warehouse Museum
30.04.2026

Museum Schwedenspeicher reopens its doors

Nach einem Umbau öffnet das Museum Schwedenspeicher in Stade am 1. Mai wieder seine Türen. Mit der Neueröffnung des Museums wird im ersten Stock des Gebäudes eine große Ausstellung zur Hansezeit präsentiert. Am Beispiel der Hansestadt Stade, die stellvertretend für viele andere mittelgroße Hansestädte des ausgehenden Mittelalters steht, wird die Geschichte der Hanse anschaulich dargestellt.

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Screenshot newsroom Cultural Routes
25.03.2026

Cultural Routes programme has launched newsletter

The Cultural Routes oft he Council of Europe programme has recently launched its new newsletter. It will be published every six weeks and feature news from the programme and from the Cultural Routes. This opens up opportunities for Hanseatic cities to promote news and events to a wider European audience.

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Privileg des Königs Eduard IV. 1547 ©EHM Olaf Malzahn
23.03.2026

Annual Conference of the Hanseatic History Society in Lübeck

800 years ago, in 1226, Lübeck was granted the Imperial Charter of Freedom – a pivotal event in the history of the city and the Hanseatic League. This anniversary is more than just a historical retrospective: it invites us to reflect on power, autonomy and memory – themes that have shaped the Hanseatic League both then and now. The conference focuses on the question of how power was exercised, negotiated and narrated in the Hanseatic region.

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