Can anyone tell me more about the Hanseatic League Buildings in Brugge. A friend told me that they are buildings where many things were stored when Brugge was more of a port city long ago and they are all over Brugge. Has anyone seen them , know where they are and any details about them. I am spending several nights in Brugge in June.
Thank you!
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7936 posts
Naturally, Bruges does not have a complete corner on buildings of this period. While Antwerp is large and things are spread out, it has plenty of buildings and traces of the same period. Some require reading the fine print, as in the Antwerp Vleeshuis, which was the butcher's guild in medieval times, but is now a musical instrument museum, but within the original architecture.
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/coin-collector/20231222/282952454982857
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2106 posts
Living close to Bruges I have visted the place numerous times but never noticed places were goods were actually stored. But know there are still offices (localy named “natiehuizen”) of trading organizations like the Hanseatic League and the remains of the Oosterlingenhuis at Krom Genthof. Or the offices of Venice, Genoa and Castile (Spagne). You can find them, an easy walk north of the main square. Next to the office of Genoa Huis ter Beurze at the crossing of Vlamingstraat and Academiestraat. It’s where the money exchange originates from. Further of interest is Hof Bladelin once the office of the De' Medici of Florence. One of the reasons Bruges became extremely wealthy as it was the hub connecting the trading networks among others of the Hanseatic League and those of the Mediterranean Sea, more specific Italy.
I know that the Waterhalle at Main Square was during the Middle Ages together with the Lakenhalle (where the Belfry is} once the place for trading goods, but now replaced by the neo-gothic Provincial Court. Two remaining coloms of the Waterhalle can be found in the Arentshof close to the Groeningemuseum. Oosterlingenhuis houses nowadays a hotel. Oosterlingen means those coming from "het oosten", in English the east.
But maybe I am not well informed enough and that the offices functioned as store houses too or it’s possible seperate ware houses are still to find in Bruges. Hopefully the TI can help you: [email protected] A guided tour would be interesting. Usually larger merchant ships docked outside the city and the goods transported with small boats to the market squares inside the city walls and once traded back outside the city. The reason I think goods were stored elswhere.
Something to read: https://averilbrugge.blogspot.com/2020/09/oosterlingenhuis-krom-genthof-4.html