Confederation of Cologne
Encyclopedia
The Confederation of Cologne was a mediaeval military alliance against Denmark
signed 1367 by cities of the Hanseatic League
on their meeting called Hansetag in Cologne
.
The hanseatic cities at the southern coast of the Baltic sea had nearly lost the First Danish-Hanseatic War in the Battle of Helsingborg
(1362) and made a peace with Danmark at Vordingborg
(1365). Since this peace was not enforceable the cities of Lübeck
, Rostock
, Stralsund
, Wismar
, Kulm, Thorn
, Elbing
, Kampen, Harderwyk, Elburg
, Amsterdam
and Briel
signed the confederatio for war against Danmark and Norway. So the confederation had as members some non-hanseatic Dutch cities too. The treaty was signed for the duration of the war planned plus another three years. The original language of the treaty is not Latin
but the cities lingua franca
Middle Low German
. The Second Danish-Hanseatic War ended with the Treaty of Stralsund (1370) and was a major success for the league. The Confederation of Cologne lasted with several prolongations until 1385. The Treaty regulated the financial aspects of the war and how many ships and crew the participating seagoing cities had to send.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
signed 1367 by cities of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
on their meeting called Hansetag in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
The hanseatic cities at the southern coast of the Baltic sea had nearly lost the First Danish-Hanseatic War in the Battle of Helsingborg
Battle of Helsingborg
The Battle of Helsingborg was fought in 1362 between Danish and Hanseatic fleets. The fleets met on Øresund near Helsingborg, where the sound is most narrow. The Danish were led by Valdemar Atterdag. The Danish were victorious...
(1362) and made a peace with Danmark at Vordingborg
Vordingborg
Vordingborg is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Masnedø, and covers an area of 621 km². It has a total population of 46,600...
(1365). Since this peace was not enforceable the cities of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, Wismar
Wismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
, Kulm, Thorn
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, Elbing
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
, Kampen, Harderwyk, Elburg
Elburg
Elburg is a municipality and a city in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.-History:There is evidence of a Neolithic settlement at Elburg consisting of stone tools and pottery shards....
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Briel
Brielle
Brielle , also called Den Briel is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The municipality covers an area of 31.12 km² of which 3.63 km² is water...
signed the confederatio for war against Danmark and Norway. So the confederation had as members some non-hanseatic Dutch cities too. The treaty was signed for the duration of the war planned plus another three years. The original language of the treaty is not Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
but the cities lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
Middle Low German
Middle Low German
Middle Low German is a language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German. It served as the international lingua franca of the Hanseatic League...
. The Second Danish-Hanseatic War ended with the Treaty of Stralsund (1370) and was a major success for the league. The Confederation of Cologne lasted with several prolongations until 1385. The Treaty regulated the financial aspects of the war and how many ships and crew the participating seagoing cities had to send.