Hanseatic League - a commercial and defensive confederation of free cities in northern Germany and surrounding areas; formed in the 13th century and most powerful in the 14th centuryBergen - a port city in southwestern Norway Cologne, Koln - a commercial center and river port in western Germany on the Rhine River; flourished during the 15th century as a member of the Hanseatic League Halle, Halle-an-der-Saale - a city in the Saxony region of Germany on the Saale River; a member of the Hanseatic League during the 13th and 14th centuries Hamburg - a city in northern Germany on the Elbe River Lubeck - a city in northwestern Germany and an important Baltic port; a leading member of the Hanseatic League Rostock - a city in northeastern Germany near the Baltic sea; an important member of the Hanseatic League in the 14th century Bruges, City of Bridges - a city in northwestern Belgium; connected by canal to the North Sea; the old city is a popular tourist attraction Danzig, Gdansk - a port city of northern Poland near the mouth of the Vistula River on a gulf of the Baltic Sea; a member of the Hanseatic League in the 14th century Tartu - a city of southeastern Estonia that was a member of the Hanseatic League capital of Latvia, Riga - a port city on the Gulf of Riga that is the capital and largest city of Latvia; formerly a member of the Hanseatic League Klaipeda, Memel - a city in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea; formerly an important trading town of the Hanseatic League |