Elberfeld and the Atlantic

Abstract

This article sheds light on trading networks formed by German merchants in trade hubs such as London, Bordeaux and Cádiz. It analyses their networks from the vantage point of proto-industrial merchants-manufacturers based in the German interior. The study primarily draws on material from a private business archive, including extensive correspondence and daybooks. The analysis considers both the practicalities of early modern trade and cultural factors. The scrutiny of the rich material reveals that business networks of landlocked merchants were initially shaped by lingual and confessional commonalities. Over time, however, trade was increasingly organized directly through travelling salesmen, with these migratory merchants accordingly acquiring greater significance as middlemen.