184 Ewert and Selzer
members and friends. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Hildebrand
Veckinchusen traded from Bruges with some of his friends as well as with his
relatives, including his father-in-law Engelbrecht Witte in Riga, his brother
Sivert in Lübeck (during 1408 to 1419 in Cologne), his other brothers Cesar and
Hans in Riga and Reval, his brothers-in-law Klaus Swarte in Dortmund and
Hildebrand von Bokel in Dorpat, his son-in-law Peter van den Damme in Lübeck,
and his nephews in Lübeck, Reval, Dorpat, and even Venice (see Figure 5.3).52
Once established, a commercial network became more and more dense
(see Figure 5.2b) as it was a common strategy of merchants to make occasional
52 Irsigler, “Alltag” (see footnote 48), 75–99; Stark, “Techniken” (see footnote 42), 191–201;
Cordes, Gesellschaftshandel (see footnote 22).
figure 5.3 The Family Network of Hildebrand Veckinchusen : Graph of the family network of
Hildebrand Veckinhusen showing trading relationships and geographical diffusions
of the Veckinchusen family.
Source: Created by Ulf Christian Ewert and Stephan Selzer following
Irsigler, “Alltag” (see footnote 48), 75–99, and Stark, “Techniken” (see
footnote 42), 191–201.
Sivert [brother] (not 1408–19)
Drude [sister] with husband and sons
Peter van den Damme [son-in-law]
LÜBECKCesar [brother]
Engelbrecht Witte [father-in-law]
RIGAHans [brother]
Cesar [nephew, son of Hans]
REVALLudwig [brother, clergyman]
Dedeke [sister]
Hildebrand von Bokel [brother-in-law]
Johan [nephew, son of Dedeke]
DORPATKlaus Swarte [brother-in-law]
DORTMUNDHildebrand Veckinchusen
(c. 1365–1426)
BRUGESSivert [brother] 1408–1 9
COLOGNECornelius [nephew]
VENICE