‘Conflicts everywhere’ – new source-based research on the Braunschweig stratum of 1374 and on efforts to standardise economic practices in Hanseatic trade

4th International Workshop for Young Researchers on Hanseatic History, Whitsun 2016 in Braunschweig

For our international guests: go to our English version

Since 2010, an international workshop for early-career researchers on the history of the Hanseatic League has been held every two years in the run-up to the Whitsun conference of the Hanseatic History Association. The next workshop will take place on 15 and 16 May in Braunschweig

Organised by PhD students and postgraduates themselves, this fourth workshop for early-career researchers on Hanseatic history aims to foster academic exchange on Hanseatic research topics across national borders.

The programme

15 May 2016: On the first day, interested participants will present their own research projects (seminar papers, Bachelor’s or Master’s theses, essays or ongoing doctoral research projects, etc.) in the form of a short presentation (max. 10 mins). This will be followed by a plenary discussion of the projects lasting approximately five minutes. The aim is to assist the presenters with their work through constructive feedback and to gain a brief insight into the current landscape of Hanseatic research.

16 May 2016: The second day is dedicated to the two working groups. Following a keynote presentation, the issues addressed in the two workshops will be explored in separate small groups. The first group will focus on the topic ‘The Great Assembly of Braunschweig (1374) and the Hanse’. The second group will examine standardisation efforts in Hanseatic trade. At the end of the day, the workshops will present their findings to one another. These will also be presented at the Whitsun Conference.

Further information on the workshops

• Workshop 1
• Workshop 2

Target audience

The workshop is aimed at students and PhD candidates from across national borders studying history and related disciplines. The conference languages are German and English – at least good passive German language skills are required.

Information and registration

To take part, please submit a letter of motivation and a brief CV (university, study status/degree, language proficiency in German or English) by 29 February 2016. A presentation on a current project is desirable but not a mandatory requirement for participation in the workshop. If applicable, please also submit a project outline of no more than 600 words.

Please also indicate which working group you would like to join and whether you consent to your contact details being shared with the other workshop participants. All registered participants are expected to receive a confirmation of registration with further information by mid-March.

Accepted participants are requested to submit an abstract (in German or English) of no more than 350–400 words by 15 April 2016, outlining their research topic for the workshop. Please send your registrations and abstracts by email to in a standard document format (.docx, .odt, *.pdf).

We are endeavouring to provide support towards travel expenses.

Organising team

We (Maartje A.B., Anna Binde, Michael Meichsner, Lena Mühlig, David Weiss) are ourselves former participants in the early-career workshops. We were impressed by the concept, the way it was organised and the interdisciplinary framework for early-career researchers. Based across Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, we are working to ensure that, together with you, we can enjoy an exciting and, we hope, fruitful few days in Braunschweig in 2016.

Everything at a glance

What it’s all about: Taking part in the 2016 Young Researchers’ Workshop on Hanseatic History

When does the Young Researchers’ Workshop take place: On 15 and 16 May 2016 – as part of the Hansische Geschichtsverein’s Whitsun conference

Where exactly is the workshop taking place: At the Braunschweig City Archives

How to take part: Send an application to the email address hanseworkshop@t-online.de by 29 February. This should include a brief CV, a letter of motivation (with a short project outline, if applicable – 600 words) and an abstract (350–400 words) to be submitted at a later date, should you wish to present a project.

The event is aimed both at early-career researchers who are directly engaged with ‘Hanseatic topics’ in their seminar papers, Bachelor’s or Master’s theses, ongoing doctoral projects or essays, and at researchers whose work has points of contact with Hanseatic history.

What are the workshops about? Further information on the workshops can be found here and here