The Baltic Trade 201
and early sixteenth centuries, but grain export from the whole Baltic area was
known from the thirteenth century onwards. More important than the export of
grain was the export of beer. Contrary to the accepted older opinion, Hamburg
was not the center of Hanseatic beer production. The so-called Wendian quar-
ter, with the cities of Lübeck, Wismar and Rostock, held that honor. The western
Baltic was the focal point of the Hanseatic beer production and connected with
a large area of wheat and hops cultivation.
Imports via the Baltic
But the Baltic was not known primarily because of its amber, herring and
beer, but of other items of trade. These goods—even if they were called Baltic
goods—were not produced in the Baltic geographical area, but in a zone we
can call the Baltic economic zone. This area spans the whole western part of
Russia and Ukraine, the Polesia, Hungary with its Slovakian parts, and had con-
nection to Asia, Arabia and in some parts to southern Europe also.
The most recognizable and important trading good of the Baltic was def-
initely fur, mainly fine fur from Russian suppliers. The same is true for wax
and to a lesser extent for honey. Next to these was wood and wood-products
from Poland and Polesia, which were increasingly important for the European
market, especially for the developing English and Dutch fleets. These prod-
ucts were exported mainly via Thorn and later Danzig and maintained their
importance until the end of the nineteenth century. But Hanse merchants did
not only identify each of these cities as “house of wood” (Holzhaus), but also
the “house of metal” (Kupferhaus). The Hungarian-Slovakian copper, iron and
silver mines lay on the north side of the Carpathian Mountains and the best
export route was via the Vistula River and north to the Baltic Sea. With this
route, Hungary became a part of the Baltic economic zone.
In addition to the primary Baltic trade goods of fur, wax, copper and iron,
merchants dealt in luxury goods like spices and silk. Until 1400, these goods
were imported from Asia and Arabia via Lviv and Thorn and were a comple-
ment to imports via Venice and Bruges. These main products together with
many others, made the Baltic one of the most important European economic
zones from the eleventh century onwards. The main purpose of the Hanseatic
League was to serve as agents for these goods between the producers in the
east and the consumers in the west and to exchange these products with
western cloth and other luxury articles.