A Companion to the Hanseatic League

Social Networks 173

Restricting the sample to those testators already connected by professional,

social, or political matters would be a much better approach to reconstructing

citizens’ networks on the basis of wills. Gunnar Meyer also undertook such an

analysis for the group of merchants from Lübeck who had specialized in trade

with Bergen. Although not all the wills belonging to the people in this group

survived, the final sample consists of 109 wills, 82 of which show a testator’s

choice of a fellow member of this group of traders for executing one’s will.

The corresponding graph24 depicts only these choices, but some of the wills

do contain additional information that would be relevant to social network

issues, such as business connections to other group members. Thus, testators’

choices of executors would add much to the reconstruction of multi-mode

social networks of merchants.

24 Meyer, “Solidarität” (see footnote 23).

figure 5.1 Network of Guardians in Early Fifteenth Century Lübeck: Sociogram of a group of

citizens in early fifteenth century Lübeck with respect to choices of guardians of their

wills. As they were named in most of the wills analyzed, churches’ works masters

Godeken Steenbeken and Hermann Robeke stood in the center of this network.

Source: Meyer, Werkmeister (see footnote 23), 289.

Mert1430 (8 Sh)en Kale Mert1430 (8 Sh)en Grote

1436 (8 Sh)1441 (8 Sh)

TymmeYegher

1441 (8 Sh)

Statius Grot1440 (4 Sh)e

HoghevHermeneld

1434 (8 Sh)1440 (8 Sh)

GleysemanHermen

1438 (2 Mk)

DyAlbertderikes

1436 (8 Sh)1443 (8 Sh)

Mert1425 (2 Mk)en Vlind

Hinrik 1431/25Vicken
(1 Mk)
Johan van
dem Berne1425 (1 Mk) 1442 (1 Mk)HermenLanghe 1445 (8 Sh)ValeberchHans 1419 (8 Sh)SchopingTideke LubbertEx1422 (?)eman
1431 (8 Sh)

ScharneClawes-

1422 (8 Sh)kouwe

Hinrik Krul1434 (8 Sh)

KlokmanHinrik

1438 (8 Sh1440 (8 Sh))

Hans Moller

1420 (8 Sh)1434 (8 Sh)

1436 (8 Sh)

TyHansvoghel

1433 (8 Sh)

LaurentiusWynt

1439 (8 Sh)1441 (8 Sh)

TyRolantdeke

1437 (8 Sh)

Clawes

Steenbeksen.e

1428 (1 Mk)

Diderik

1436 (2 Mk)Hurleman

Johan

RatmannGerwer,

1432 (1 Mk)

Hans Voes

1431 (1 Mk)

Clawes

1430 (8 Sh)KoTytemandeke 1439 (1 Mk)Vorman

StClaeenbekwese

1428 (1 Mk)jun.

WGodekerkmeisten Ster an St. Jacobieenbeken,

(kein Testament)

WHermann Rerkmeister an St.obeke,

1426 (8 Sh)Marien

1436 (8 Sh)1431 (8 Sh)

1442 (8 Sh)

LambertEkey

1426 (1 Mk)1438 (1 Mk)

Hinrik (keinVrunde

Testament)