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Lübeck
Short history in the middle ages:
Lübeck was founded about the year 1.000 by the Wagriner a tribe of the Wenden as Liubice.
In the 12th century these Slavonic people were ousted by an alliance of Holsten, Stormanern and Friesians and the town burnt down in 1138.
1143 Lübeck was founded as a “German speaking” town.
In 1147 the Wenden struck back.
In 1156 Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony complained about insufficient tax revenue.
In 1157 the town was destroyed by a fire.
In 1158 rebuilt and received its town charter in 1159.
In 1188 they received privileges from Kaiser Friedrich (Barbarossa).
1192 Lübeck was conquered by Graf Adolf III of Schauenburg.
1202 taken by the Danes under Knut VI.
As from 1223 the power of the Danes waned and in
1227 at the battle of Bornhoeved a coalition of North German knights, soldiers from
Lübeck and Albrecht of Saxony, the Danes were beaten.
1237: Tax privileges for the “Mercatoes of Guthlandia” the predecessor of the Hanse.
1266 foundation of the Hanse.
Excellent information on the Hanse under: “The chronicle of the Hanse”
www.european-heritage.org
As from 1350 repeated pestilences (1350, 1358, 1376, 1388, 1391, 1406).
In 1350 Lübeck had about 20.000 inhabitants (figures vary between 18.800 and 24.400).
More than half the inhabitants supposedly died. It was reported, that just on August 10th there were 2,500 death within twenty four hours.
However, this seems an exaggeration. Other figures speak about 500 death on that day.
In the 14th century the population grew again to 22 – 24.000.
Thus at that time Lübeck was the second biggest town in Germany after Cologne.
Of these about 500 merchants of the highest social level.
The first councilors (Consules) are documented in 1201.
In the 13th century the town had achieved it’s own self administration.
The town council was dominated by the merchants right from the beginning.
This led to social unrest particularly instigated by the tradesmen and resulted in 1384 in the so called “Knochenhaueraufstand” (“uprising of the butchers”).
In 1403 the old council (of merchants) was replaced by the new council (tradesmen).
Most of the old council left town (all 4 mayors and 15 of the 23 councillors).
However, the new council was very stubborn and was banned by King Ruprecht von der Pfalz. In 1416 the old council returned.
In this town Grawert’s have played an important part over many centuries and seemingly right from the beginning ( independence 1227, start of the Hanse 1266).
According to my findings at the Archives of Lübeck there were two brothers Hinrich and Heideco Grawert living in Lübeck in 1282. Their father is only mentioned as N.Grawert.
Both must have been at least 50 years old at that time, because:
Hinrich had three children which are also mentioned in the archive:
Christina (lived 1286), Albert (lived 1300), Heinrich (lived 1300).
Heideco’s children are: Hinrich, Eveke (lived 1289), Richard, Godeco and Willenicus.
The third child Richard was councilor in Lübeck ( 1286-1291) and before that envoy to Denmark and Sweden.
The archive reports about Godeco and Willenicus : In 1301 these brothers sold property to Arnoldo de Soltwedel .
What can be interpreted from that:
1) If Richard as envoy to Sweden and Denmark was 30 years old then, he must be born about 1255. Thus his father Heideco (Richard being the third child) was probably born about 1225.
And Hinrich was his older brother.
2) The given names of Hinrich, Heinrich could show a connection to Emden.
3) The sale of property in 1301 would be an indication, that the statement by Werner Gragert : “A group of Grawert’s left Lübeck in 1301 and settled in the Prignitz” could be correct.
“ In 1301 a group of Grawert’s left Lübeck and settled in the Prignitz, also called Altmark, west of Berlin.Three families, of which two men had been councilors in Lübeck.”
(The only documented councilor I could find was Richard).
Hans-Curt von Grawert, Berlin stated that his forefathers came from Lübeck and that these relate back to a "patrician family" from Utrecht.
The reasons, why they left Lübeck are unknown. Pestilence and social unrest came later.
My assumption is, that these were mainly business reasons. The Lübecker Grawert’s definitely were merchants of the Hanse for several centuries.
The towns of Salzwedel, Perleberg, Stendal etc. were all in an extension of the “salt route” from Lübeck to Lueneburg, which led on to Magdeburg, Frankfurt and Dresden along or near the Elbe river. Until it’s destruction by Tilly during the 30 year war (1618-1648) Magdeburg was one of the five biggest towns in Germany.
(see: Juergen Haase:”Von den Hanseaten in der Altmark http://www.fzp-wohin.de/heimat)
Thus it is likely that Grawert’s moved to Perleberg or Stendal to open a trading post.
Salzwedel joined the Gothlandfahrer/Hanse in 1263, Perleberg 1358, Stendal 1359.
Further on Salzwedel could be reached from Lübeck as from 1270 by the Jeetze river and access to the Elbe was achieved via the Stecknitz or Elbe/Lübeck canal.
Grawert’s also had offices in Reval and Bruegge.
Hans Grawert was at the trading post in Bruegge 1474 and still lived in 1483 (ArchiveLübeck).
Heinrich Grawert was councilor of the town of Lueneburg.
Grawert’s that lived in the Prignitz had close contact to their relatives in Lübeck over several centuries.
Examples:
Vritze Grawert was born in Stendal in 1370 and was later member of the council in Lübeck. His occupation was: Merchant
He lived in Lübeck as from 1413 and died there in 1449.
The mayor of Stendal Hans Goldbeck married Ilsa Grawert the daughter of Lübeck’s mayor. (Probably an exaggeration, as no Grawert was mayor of Lübeck as far as I know).
In the years 1301 until 1413 there is little information about the Grawert’s from Lübeck. This may be due to the recurrent pestilences as well as the social unrest.
There is a “Bruderbuch der Revaler Tafelrunde 1364-1549” (Tetum Verlag, Marburg / Torsten Derrik).
The names of the “brothers” are listed there. Most were traders or ships captains.
The following Grawert’s are mentioned in this book:
Based in Lübeck: Fritz (1440), Herman (1458), Fritz (1461)
Based in Reval: Fryst (1439), Cort (1442), Jachym (1456), Vrytze (1459), Jachem (1485)
Thus it confirms, that Grawert’s had a trading post in Reval from which an important trade was conducted with Russia (Novgorod and St. Petersburg).
Reval is nowadays called Tallinn and is the capital of Estonia (about 60 km south of Helsinki, Finnland).