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socialmilieu
19
Teaforementionedlegaladswerereflededinthegrowing
adivityofmerdantsfromtownsintheChełmnoregioninPoland.
Inthe1880s,Toruńmerdantsmaintainedtradecontadswith
Ruthenia,wheretheytravelledwithclothviaKuyaviaandMazovia.
Attheendofthatcentury,theyreadedUpperHungary(Slovakia),
fromwheretheybeganimportingcoppertoPrussia.Tereare
knowncasesoftradingcompaniesesablishedbyToruńandLübec
merdantsinthelatethirteenthandearlyfourteenthcenturiesto
condudtradeincloth(importedfromthewes),aswellascopper
andfurs(exportedtothewes).5
TeprivilegesobtainedfromŚwiętopełkandSamborIIalso
allowedToruńmerdantstobediredlyinvolvedinmaritimetrade.
However,thereisnosourceinformationonToruń)stradecontads
withLübecandFlandersinthesecondhalfofthe13thcentury.
EarlierliteraturetriedtoemphasisetheparticipationofToruńmer-
dantsintheexdangeofgoodswithFlandersonthebasisoftheir
participationintheconflidofLübecandSpanishmerdantswith
Brugesin1280,asaresultofwhidtheHanseaticagencywasmoved
fortwoyearstoAardenburg.6Lübecmerdantsthensentrequess
tomorethanadozentownstosupporttheireforts.Alettertothis
efedwasalsoreceivedbytheToruńcouncillors,whosupported
theadionsofLübec,butfirmlyrefusedtoparticipateinthewar
onitssideduetotheirsubordinationtotheTeutonicOrder.One
musagreewiththeopinionofRomanCzaja,whobelievesthat
untilthebeginningofthe14thcentury,thetradebetweenPrussia
andFlanderswascondudedmainlythroughLübecmerdants.By
theway,atthattimetherewasapermanentshippinglinebetween
Flanders,Lübec,andPrussia,whidwasusedbyLübecmerdants
5R.Czaja,Udziałwielkichmiastpruskich(cz.1),p.28.
6M.Magdański,HandelTorunianamorzuwwiekachśrednich,uRocznikiHisto-
ryczne,”yr.11,1935,pp.6-7.
