Französisches Salz für die Häfen der Ostsee

Until the middle of the 13th century Lübeck monopolized the alt trade in the Baltic region, because of the mastery of Lüneburg's salt mines. From this time on Hamburg became a more and more important emporium for salt in northern Europe. The salt was shipped to Hamburg from western France, where salt has been produced out of seawater since prehistoric times. Lübeck's merchants tried in vain to keep the monopoly by digging a canal between the rivers Elbe and Trave by the end of the 14th century. Salt-shipping to Hamburg was done with foreign ships - English, Flemish, Dutch - until the end of the Hundred Years War between France and England. Later on Hamburg-owned ships were used as well as ships from the coast of the southern Baltic. The ships sailed in convois to western France, which for the ships with Baltic home ports were put together at the southern entrance of the Danish straits. In the baye of Bourgneuf - south of the Loire estuary - salt and wine were loaded.