A Companion to the Hanseatic League

The Baltic Trade 209

and southern goods at the same time.48 The trade with Lübeck and Bruges was

more monopolized. In Lübeck the guild of the Paternostermaker, (the makers

of rosaries),49 bought the all imports by contracts with the Order late in the

fourteenth century.50 From Lübeck the amber-rosaries were sold farther to the

south, to Venice, Nuremberg or Frankfort. The same system existed in Bruges

also, where the local guild of rosary-makers had to produce one quota of

rosaries for the Order without any costs.51 From Bruges the rosaries were deliv-

ered to Venice and also to Spain.52

Because of the monopoly of the Teutonic Order, we have the ability to deter-

mine some figures of the export of amber from Prussia in the period 1397–

1405/06 and 1419 to 1434.

It can be seen from this table that the export of amber from the Baltic was

not constant at all. Annual fluctuations and differences between the two

48 Renken, Handel, 42–45.

49 To the history of rosaries see Jan A. van Houtte, “Ambernijverheid,” 49–51.

50 UBStL iv, 657, 743 f. See also the Archives of the Teutonic Order, Geheimes Preußisches

Staatsarchiv Berlin, GPStA pk, ha xx, oba, 1532. See also J. Warncke, “Bernsteinkunst

und Paternostermaker in Lübeck.” Nordelbingen 10 (1934), 428–464.

51 J. van Houtte, “Ambernijverheid,” 54–80. F. Renken, Handel, 53–61.

52 J. van Houtte, “Ambernijverheid,” 57f.

0

2500

5000

7500

10000

12500

1390 1393 1396 1399 1402 1405/06 1421

Commercial Years of the Großschä

fer

Mark lübisch, 1 lb. gr. = 6,5 mk. lüb.

1424 1427 1429 1432

Lübeck

Bruges

Total

figure 6.1 Export of Amber to the West.

F. Renken, Handel der Köningsberger Grossschäfferei, 54

C. Jahnke, Der Ostseeraum bis 1400, forthcoming.