The Salt Trade of Lüneburg
The salt mines of Lüneburg, in the lower Elbe, were the source of the salt that preserved the herring of the Sound, and the salt trade was the principal commercial activity of the early Hanseatic merchants. The Lüneburg mines had been worked since prehistoric times, and the mines were, in the late Middle Ages, one of the principal sources of salt for northern Europe. The salt was, in many ways, the foundation of the League’s commercial dominance, and the salt trade was the principal reason for the early prosperity of the League’s cities.
The mines
The Lüneburg mines produced, in the late Middle Ages, perhaps 20,000 to 30,000 tons of salt per year, and the salt was carried down the Elbe to Hamburg and from there to the markets of the Baltic. The salt was used principally for the preservation of herring, and the salt trade was closely linked to the herring trade: the salt from Lüneburg went to the herring fisheries of the Sound, and the salted herring was exported to the markets of the West.
A vertically integrated business
The salt trade was, in many ways, a vertically integrated business. The League controlled the mines at Lüneburg, the boats that carried the salt down the Elbe, the warehouses in which it was stored, and the markets in which it was sold. The salt trade was, accordingly, one of the most profitable branches of the League’s commerce, and the salt trade was one of the principal sources of the League’s commercial dominance.
A source of revenue and of conflict
The salt trade was also an important source of revenue for the League’s cities. The cities of Lübeck and Hamburg, in particular, benefited from the salt trade, and the cities’ wealth was, in part, the result of the salt trade. The salt trade was also an important source of revenue for the city of Lüneburg itself, and the city of Lüneburg was, in the late Middle Ages, one of the principal commercial centres of northern Germany.
The salt trade was, however, also a source of conflict. The League’s control of the salt trade was constantly under threat, and the League had to fight several conflicts to defend the salt trade. The principal conflicts were with the archbishopric of Magdeburg, which was an important producer of salt, and the conflicts were one of the principal causes of the embargo of Magdeburg in 1284. The conflicts were also one of the principal causes of the wars with the Danish crown, which was an important consumer of the salt.
The mines today
The Lüneburg salt mines are still in operation today, and the mines are an important part of the modern industrial heritage of the region. The mines are also an important tourist attraction, and the mines are open to visitors who want to learn about the history of the salt trade.