French Entries in the “Hamburgische Waarenberechnungen”: First Insights from a Collection of Commodity Calculations for Hamburg’s Trade in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

This paper analyses selected entries in the “Hamburgische Waarenberechnungen,” a collection of commodity calculations compiled, printed and published in Hamburg in 1772–1774, and comprising roughly 400 cost calculations for commodities shipped to and from the port of Hamburg. The paper focuses on the different cost items and their share in the total transportation cost for entries involving French ports. Following the structure of the commodity calculations, it distinguishes between costs incurred at origin, during shipment and upon arrival, while also paying attention to exchange and insurance rates as found in the source. By showing the complexity of the calculations, the paper contributes to the historiography of freight prices and transport costs in early modern Europe.