Hanse Towns
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The maritime cities of Germany, which belonged to the Hanseatic League (q.v.).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Hanse Towns” mean?
The maritime cities of Germany, which belonged to the Hanseatic League (q.v.).
Is “Hanse Towns” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.