Ep. 114 - The London Steelyard.......and the Hanse trade in Wine

If like many of you, you are listening to this podcast on your morning or evening commute and you happen to live in London, you may be one of the 20 million souls going through Cannon Street Station every year. Few of them will be aware that under their feet lay the vestiges of the great Hanseatic Kontor in London that goes back to 1176. If people know about the Steelyard, it is mainly through the portraits of merchants painted by Holbein between 1532 and 1536 at a time when the Kontor had only about 60 years left.

But there is a lot to tell about this now vanished building, its inhabitants and trade. It is a story of infighting between the various cities that were still to officially form the Hanseatic league, of trading privileges granted to fund first a crusade and then the hundred year’s war, andit is also a great opportunity to introduce the oldest, largest and richest member of the Hanseatic League, the city of Cologne.

As promised here are my favourite German winemakers (and there are lots and lots more..)

Nahe Valley (exc. value for money)

Rheingau (top quality but expensive)

Moselle/Ahr

Baden

As always:

To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

So far I have:

[vladdrakul]

More terrific work by the, IMHO, most underrated historical podcast on U Tube. If universities used this a text for getting degrees in German history it would raise the entire level of education. YES it is THAT GOOD! Unequaled in detail and intellectual honesty. With a wicked sense of humor and a deep understanding of WHAT MATTERS. Yeah, I am a fan but not a fan of how few watch this. As Monty Python put it; 'casting pearls to swine' Lets' hope like Van Gogh's paintings your work receives at least some belated recognition. I have studied history all my life and your show has been a revelation, making otherwise obscure phenomenon, understandable. Germany's divided localism in culture and politics, and inherent North South tensions post Charlemagne!