Free Frisia and the Hansa

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Free Frisia and the Hansa

• Job Weststrate en J.A. Mol
• Provinciehuis Groningen, June 8th 2007

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Economic profile Westerlauwers Frisia

• Low urbanisation, high population density
• Land held in large estates, but leased to
  independent farmers
• Relatively strong legal position farmers
• Money economy ? market oriented farming
• Cattle farming ? dairy products, cattle trade

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Frisian trade and shipping

• Dairy export ? IJssel region, Rhineland, Northern
  Germany
• Shipping 13th-14th c. Hamburg-England
• Hamburg beer staple at Staveren
• Active trade Staveren and the Hansa
• Shipping 15th c. Holland

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Feuding society an obstacle for growth?

• Feuds as conflict regulation
• Indicators of economic growth in 15th c.
  Westerlauwers Frisia
• Feuding on interregional scale as an obstacle for
  international trade

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Integration into Netherlands

• 1498 Westerlauwers Frisia conquered by Albrecht
  of Saxony
• Particularism chieftains defeated ? safer
  environment for investments from Holland
• Capital from Holland leads to increase in scale
  of production (peat) and shipping