Hamburg's location on the banks of the River Elbe, with deep-water access to the North Sea, has ensured that seaborne trade and commerce have underpinned the city's economy since the Middle Ages. The settlement resulted from the determination of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne to conquer and convert the Saxons to Christianity, and in the early 9th century both a fortification and a mission settlement were established. Hamburg was a founding member of the Hanseatic League, and from 1189 a free imperial city. In May 1529 Hamburg chose to embrace Lutheranism and fought with the Protestants in the religious wars against Emperor Charles V. This afternoon session will identify key themes and events in the history of Hamburg and the European trading network of the Hanseatic League, and also offer an opportunity to discuss the city's modern history in the context of 19th-century German unification, the Third Reich, and the European Union.
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