Hansevolk zu Lübeck

Hansevolk zu Lübeck is a non-profit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) based in Lübeck, Germany, dedicated to the authentic re-enactment of the urban population of the late Middle Ages. Founded on 11 September 2000, it grew out of the project group "Lübsches Hansevolk", which had been established in 1997 within the Gesellschaft Weltkulturgut Lübeck e.V., the organisation that also operates the historic ship Lisa von Lübeck. The association portrays the everyday life of Lübeck around 1470, presenting the trade, the various crafts and the daily routines of the Hanseatic era. Members take on a wide range of roles: merchants, clergy, scribes, craftsmen, mercenaries, healers, minstrels and beggars. They cook over open fires, mint coins, go on pilgrimages, weave trims, sew and demonstrate many other facets of daily life in the medieval Hanseatic city. The group maintains a library of historical knowledge about Lübeck and the Middle Ages and shares it through its website. Hansevolk zu Lübeck appears regularly at events in and around Lübeck, including the Hansefest in Lübeck, the medieval festival at the Bauspielplatz Roter Hahn and the Museumsnacht (Museum Night) in Lübeck. It also travels abroad, for example to "De Queaye Werelt" at Kastell Sterckshof in Antwerp, Belgium, and to the medieval week in Visby on Gotland, Sweden. At the modern International Hanseatic Days, the group accompanies representatives of the city of Lübeck to represent the "Queen of the Hanse" and to maintain contacts with other Hanseatic cities. In 2008, for the Museumsnacht in Lübeck, the association staged the Lübeck Totentanz (Dance of Death) based on motifs from Bernt Notke's painting of 1463, portraying 16 of the 24 figures shown in the painting, from the pope to the newborn. Further performances followed in Wismar in 2009, Visby in 2011 and Rostock in 2018. In 2025 the association celebrated its 25th anniversary and began a redesign of its website.

Hansevolk zu Lübeck originated as the project group "Lübsches Hansevolk", founded in 1997 within the Gesellschaft Weltkulturgut Lübeck e.V., an organisation that also operates the historic vessel Lisa von Lübeck. The group was established as an independent non-profit association on 11 September 2000. Its purpose is to portray the urban population of Lübeck in the late Middle Ages, presenting trade, various crafts and the everyday life of the Hanseatic period. From its base in Lübeck, the association has become a regular presence at regional events. Among its recurring engagements in the Lübeck area are the Hansefest in Lübeck, the medieval festival at the Bauspielplatz Roter Hahn and the Museumsnacht in Lübeck. The group also travels internationally, appearing at events such as "De Queaye Werelt" at Kastell Sterckshof in Antwerp, Belgium, and the medieval week in Visby on Gotland, Sweden. At the modern International Hanseatic Days, members accompany representatives of the city of Lübeck to represent the "Queen of the Hanse" and to maintain contacts with other Hanseatic cities. A notable chapter in the association's history is its staging of the Lübeck Totentanz. For the Museumsnacht in Lübeck in 2008, the group brought to life the Dance of Death based on motifs from Bernt Notke's painting of 1463, portraying 16 of the 24 figures depicted in the painting, from the pope to the newborn. Further performances took place in Wismar in 2009, in Visby in 2011 and in Rostock in 2018. In 2025 the association marked its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, it began a comprehensive redesign of its website, noting that while it passionately portrays the period around 1470 AD, it also keeps up with the times outside of events. The new web presence is being built gradually.

• 2025

  25th anniversary; website redesign begins.

• 2018

  Further Totentanz performance in Rostock.

• 2011

  Further Totentanz performance in Visby.

• 2009

  Further Totentanz performance in Wismar.

• 2008

  Staged the Lübeck Totentanz for the Museumsnacht in Lübeck, based on Bernt Notke's 1463 painting.

• 2000

  Established as an independent non-profit association on 11 September.

• 1997

  Project group "Lübsches Hansevolk" founded within the Gesellschaft Weltkulturgut Lübeck e.V.

Authentic, non-commercial living-history re-enactment of late-medieval Lübeck around 1470, serving cultural education and Hanseatic networking.

• Living-history re-enactment of late-medieval Lübeck

  Members portray merchants, clergy, scribes, craftsmen, mercenaries, healers, minstrels and beggars, demonstrating trades and daily life around 1470.

• Medieval craft demonstrations

  Open-fire cooking, coin minting, pilgrimage, trim weaving, sewing and other facets of everyday life in the medieval Hanseatic city.

• Lübeck Totentanz staging

  A performance based on Bernt Notke's 1463 painting, portraying 16 of the 24 figures from the pope to the newborn.

1. 1Startseite | Hansevolk zu Lübeckhansevolk.de
2. 2Lübeckische Geschichte - Hansevolk zu Lübeckhansevolk.de
3. 3Hansevolk zu Lübeck - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Hansevolk zu Lübeck - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org