Marine Flags of cities of the Hanseatic League in Novgorod began to appear long before the formation of most of the Hanseatic League (on him. Hanse and drevn.-it. Hansa, 'group', 'union'). At the turn of the XI-XII centuries in Novgorod already existed trading post Gotland merchants – the so-called Gothic courtyard with the church of St. Olaf, which Novgorod was called "Varyazhkoy shrine." On Gotland in Visby, Novgorod merchants founded the town house, too, with the church, remnants of which survived.
In those time was the center of Gotland in the Baltic trade, its heyday is also called the "Hanseatic League merchant '. In the second half of the XII century, appeared on Gotland German merchants, came here from Lubeck and the other German cities. Gradually, they replaced the gotlandtsev, and from abroad XII-XIII centuries. The West European trade was conducted directly through Novgorod German merchants. Center also trade on the Baltic Sea from Gotland moved to Luebeck. Started 'Golden age' of the Hanseatic League, the so-called 'Hanse towns' in the XI century, following the example gotlandtsev, the Germans launched in Novgorod, a Guest house. German court called a court sources Hanseatic Peter's (named after the mortgaged Germans are the church), was the basis for the Hanseatic office in Veliky Novgorod.
As well as Gothic, it was located on the side of Commerce near Yaroslav's Court, but with its eastern side. Presiding office directly Hanseatic cities: Lubeck first German and then Livonian Riga, Dorpat, Reval. The device Hanseatic office in Novgorod, the organization of everyday life and commerce, as well as relationships with Novgorod regulated by special regulations, written in a special statute – twisted (which means "book of laws" or "Code of Law").
