Hanseatic League
Preserved but no longer current.
The confeder- acy, first established in 1239, between certain cities of Northern Germany for their mutual prosperity and protection. The diet which used to be held every three years was called the Hansa (Old High German for Association), and the members of it Hansards.
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 “Hanseatic League” mean?
The confeder- acy, first established in 1239, between certain cities of Northern Germany for their mutual prosperity and protection. The diet which used to be held every three years was called the Hansa (Old High German for Association), and the members of it Hansards.
Is “Hanseatic League” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.