While we often look to kings and battles, the true engine of medieval Norway’s wealth lay in the hands of merchant guilds. This episode explores the Hanseatic League’s iron grip on Bergen through Bryggen, the wharf where German merchants operated under their own laws, separate from Norwegian jurisdiction. We follow the journey of a single cargo of dried cod — stockfish — from the freezing winds of Lofoten to the tables of London and Antwerp. You will hear about the specific regulations that governed these trades, the tension between local Norwegian burghers and foreign traders, and how this economic dominance shaped the architecture and social fabric of Bergen for centuries. It is a story of commerce, cultural collision, and the quiet power of trade agreements that outlasted empires.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Fexingo. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Fexingo och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
