Bremen, a city long celebrated for its bustling trade shaped by the Hanseatic League, is also home to the New Silk Road Network (NSRN). Headquartered in this historic hub, NSRN recognizes and embodies the long tradition of connectivity, trust, and exchange that guided the Hanseatic League, and that continues to guide us today. 

The Historic Networking Group  

We all understand that networking is an incredibly handy tool and has been part of our business repertoire for quite a while. But many historical institutions have shaped the way we network today. One of them, and essentially the most significant in the Western world, is the Hanseatic League. Hanse, the word, derives from Old High German for ‘band’ or ‘troop’.

(15th Century Illustration of the Hanseatic League)

These merchants, together, changed the face of global trade from the 13th century to the 17th century. To be a part of the Hanse network allowed you many privileges, such as the safety of your goods, completion of contractual obligations, influence within various trade guilds, standardized business practices, and much more. Merchants in the group would often meet regularly to either collaborate or find solutions, similar to how freight forwarders reach out to one another to address their logistical concerns. 

Annual General Meeting of the Middle Ages 

While the Hanse traders are long gone, the traditions they started are still upheld by our network.  Just as the Hanse traders once organized the biennial Hansetag (Hanseatic Day), bringing in traders and merchants from across the continent, our network today continues that heritage by hosting networking events, such as the Annual General Meeting.

Like our networking events today, the Hanseatic Day was not just about business; it was a lively gathering in a festive atmosphere where attendees forged new contracts, renewed old ones, and came together to arrive at the best logistics solutions. With dinners, lunches, galas, and meeting spaces, the Hanse traders, like our members and partners, found ample opportunities to engage in their entrepreneurial spirit. 

Apart from the festivities, the Hansetag was also a networking event where members benefited from sharing market intelligence and insights and from offering support to one another in the ever-changing economic and political climate of the Middle Ages. Similarly, our members and partners have the opportunity to deliver keynote presentations during our AGM to highlight their expertise, share news through our portals to provide quick updates to the network, and reach out to other members and partners to access their abilities.

Promoting Businesses like the Hanse Merchants   

Like us, the Hanse traders also recognized the value of showcasing their achievements. This allowed them to build their influence, and a strong reputation could carry significant influence in medieval Europe. Today, we understand this principle as marketing. As we promote your accomplishments and services within the network and beyond, we ensure the world knows about your expanding capabilities.

Hanseatic merchants understood that a long-term orientation with the network and shared identity would mutually benefit everyone. Often, they would promote their guilds, individual capabilities, and even their cities. In this way, they spread their renown not just of the Hanseatic league, but of their particular strengths, thus attracting business from far and wide.  Similarly, our members and partners recognize that a collective vision and collaboration are essential to the mutual growth and success of modern logistics companies. NSRN, thus, platforms each member and partner company’s resources, facilities, and skills. Our network also promotes niche projects, operational routes, special shipments, and achievements of our members and partners.

(Olaf Rahardt's painting of 'Adler von Lübeck' - Eagle of Lübeck - was the largest merchant ship in the mid-16th Century)

In NSRN, we find the remnants of the our Hanse heritage and inspired by them we take these historical traditions forward and translate them into a modern, global context, as we open space for logistics companies and forwarders to create long-term relationships through our networking events, provide a platform to share intel through our knowledge hub, and, more importantly, foster a strong community that supports each other through a changing world.