Zwolle one of the old Hanzecities (our visit plus our picture)

Hi Hivers,

Yesterday my wife and I visited the lovely medieval city of Zwolle in the East of the Netherlands. Zwolle is situated along some rivers/brooks like de Vecht and the Black Water as well as the northern Rhine a.k.a. IJssel.

hanze1.jpg

**Hanze treaty (1241- ~1700) **

Instead of fighting other merchants/cities for trade Zwolle and many other cities at these waterways in Northern Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands - trade that went all the way to Russia and back over the Ostzee - decided to form a treaty called Hanze treaty with other Hanzesteden / Hanze cities. In German Hansestadt is still visible on the citysigns today. The treaty also prescribed who coudl do what trade etc. So an early monopoly/kartel.

The coins // ducats

Trading can be done with changing goods but easier is it to use coins. For large payments gold coins were used like the ducat.

The bigger the city was the more they wanted to have their own coin. So cities in the Netherladns but also the Russians minted coins with their city mintmarks. Silver and gold ones.
A gold ducat of 1650 (not owned by me)

zwol1650.png

Russian ducat Piotr/Peter 1712

russia1701piotr.png

Zwolle

Packed within it's old defense ring of water channels and defence works and still entered via some remaining medeival gates you enter a lovely city great for wandering around and shopping. The old town ofcourse is surrounded by newly built areas of the 1900's and 2000's not worth a visit.

The center however is some 1k by 1km so a lot to see.

zwolle.png

zwolle2.jpg

And here are we in front of the old church.

IMG-20210925-WA0001_resized_20210926_110247882.jpeg

have a nice weekend
Goldrooster

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