Hanseatic League chest found

[Micael]

In the attic of the Visby Cathedral on Gotland in Sweden a few old wooden chest have been sitting around. It was believed that they dated to the 17th century as an older inventory claimes this. However recently a furniture carpenter happened to get a look at them and thought that one of them appeared to be a lot older. Following a dendrochronological examination by the Gotland museum it could be confirmed that he was right, the oldest tree ring was dated to the year 1209 and the chest would have been constructed around 1240.

Suddenly it became clear that this is likely the so-called chest of St. Peter. It is recorded to have been in the church since the 13th century and belonged to the Hanseatic League who stored money and valuable documents in it. It is a bit of an unique item in the history of the league as it had four locks, the keys to which were held by the Hanseatic representatives of Visby, Lübeck, Soest, and Dortmund. They gathered at the chest twice a year to open it and add/subtract items. It had however been thought to have been lost already during the middle ages. Now the plan is to build a replica of the chest for display, adding another visible element to the showcasing of Gotland’s time as a part of the league.

It’s a neat find, I’m always glad when historical items like this are rediscovered.