Piracy or Policy? Lübeck’s 1249 Attack on Copenhagen

Abstract

This article examines a so-called ‘pirate attack’ on the Danish city of Copenhagen in 1249 by the German Hanse town of Lübeck. The attack was part of a larger conflict between Denmark and Lübeck, partially resulting from the political and economic turmoil surrounding the Baltic Crusades. It was also partially the result of political turmoil occurring within Denmark, specifically the dynastic struggles of the sons of Valdemar II (Erik IV, Abel, and Christopher I), with Lübeck taking the part of Abel during this struggle. The attack also became tangled up in a conflict between king and Church in Denmark, which the citizens of Lübeck used to their advantage. Not only did the Danish king fail to support the Bishop of Roskilde, Jakob Erlandsen (later Archbishop of Lund), in his demand for restitution for this attack on his city, he also granted expanded trading privileges to the citizens of Lübeck.