Textiles were an important commodity for trade, production and consumption for the Hanseatic League. The FGHO has dealt with this topic in many ways and, among other things, has been involved in the Europe-wide research network ‘EuroWeb – Europe through Textiles’ since 2020. Together with the European Hansemuseum, the research centre is working on the special exhibition ‘Good Stuff: Textile Worlds from the Hanse Era to the Present’.

Textiles and their trade have long shaped human coexistence. Areas far apart have been connected for centuries through the trade in fabrics. The textile industry was and is a central factor in Europe's economic development and has had a major impact on societies. The textile industry stands for market economy, innovation and prosperity, but also for dependency, unfair labour practices and ecological problems.

The research centre focused on developing the historical background of the textile world of the Hanseatic League for the exhibition: How did people consume, produce and trade textiles during the Hanseatic period?

In addition, a conference on the topic of ‘Interwoven Societies’ took place in March 2023. Last but not least, we welcomed several university seminars and courses to the exhibition, which we were happy to support in the preparation and implementation of their excursion. This included, for example, a list of recommended publications (PDF).