Salt Notes : Public works
In 1298, the Elbe-Trave canal with 17 locks, over a distance of nearly one
hundred kilometers, was completed. It was meant to ship salt from
Lüneburg to Lübeck, for the purpose of pickling herring for the benefit of
the Hanseatic League. This organization cornered the market of herrings
until the 14th century.
After the Treaty of Straalsund (1392), Denemark opened up the Sund. This
enabled Dutch merchants to deliver Bay Salt, to the extent of 100,000 tons
per year. This switch in the provenance of salt was a major factor in the
economic decline of the Hanseatic League.