In her welcoming address, Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz described Gdańsk as “a city of freedom, solidarity and equality.”
She said that the Hansa, a medieval commercial network of European merchant cities and guilds, was a forerunner of the European Union in terms of the privileges it granted to merchants.
It was also a platform for an exchange of ideas and legislative models, Dulkiewicz said.
The mayor of the German town of Lübeck, Jan Lindenau, who is president of the Hanseatic League, said that Gdańsk has come a long way from a Hanseatic port to a symbol of the struggle for freedom.
“This shows how cultural and historical heritage can inspire the creation of a better future," Lindenau said, adding that “the bond connecting the cities of the New Hanseatic League is now more important than ever,” in view of the war in Ukraine.
The programme of the event, which is being held under the motto “Change Begins Here,” includes debates by city mayors, entrepreneurs and academics, as well as trade fairs, exhibitions and concerts.
In 2021, Gdańsk marked the 660th anniversary of membership in the Old Hansa. In 1993, it joined the New Hanseatic League, a union of over 200 cities in 16 countries, including 21 in Poland.
The convention ends on Sunday.
(mk/gs)
