Welcome to the weblog about research into the late medieval and early modern international trade on the North Atlantic islands. It investigates the economic and cultural connections of merchants from Northern German cities, such as Bremen and Hamburg with the North Atlantic islands of Iceland, Shetland and Faroe during the 15th to 17th centuries. The research is based at the German Maritime Museum (Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum) in Bremerhaven in cooperation with the University of Highlands and Islands in Orkney. The research is carried out by four team members, each with their individual research objectives and disciplinary background. With this blog we want to provide information about the current state of our research, and create a platform to make available results and new knowledge. Read more...
“twebackenbrot, Pökelfleisch und geschraubete Rodtschaer. Archäozoologische und historische Quellen zum Proviant auf Hanseschiffen”
Presentation of Hans Christian Küchelmann at the Conference „Food Studies – Quo vadis? Interdisziplinäre Potenziale zur Erforschung einer Ernährungsgeschichte des Mittelalters“ 13th to 14th of November 2025 at the University of Erfurt
Not from Bavaria but preparations of two 16th century stockfish recipes from Mainz and Gent. Photo: Bart Holterman.
Andreas Pehl, journalist from Bavaria researched traces of stockfish consumption traditions in Bavaria and created two radio podcasts. Part two is concerned with the recipes in medieval and early modern cookbooks and has been broadcasted on the 12th of April 2025 by the Bavarian radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bayern 2) in the series “Zeit für Bayern“: Kabeljau im Freistaat: Der Stockfisch und die Bayern
including interviews with Jörg Vogel, Klaus Adelt, Bjørg Helen Nøstvold, Hans Christian Küchelmann and Bart Holterman.
Stockfish drying on the Lofoten, Norway. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Christoph Strässler
Andreas Pehl, journalist from Bavaria researched traces of stockfish consumption traditions in Bavaria and created two radio podcasts. Part one is concerned with the history of stockfish imports and has been broadcasted on the 5th of March by the Bavarian radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bayern 2) in the series “radioWissen”:
Der Stockfisch – Eine geschichtsträchtige Delikatesse
including interviews with Klaus Adelt, Sören Affeldt, Bart Holterman, Hans Christian Küchelmann, Bjørg Helen Nøstvold.
On Friday 24 November, the exhibition Looking In From The Edge was opened in Stromness Museum in Orkney. It will run parallel to the exhibition Immer Weiter in Bremerhaven until 24 April 2024. If you happen to be in Orkney this winter, don’t miss it!
What’s more, we are happy to announce the publication of our exhibition booklet, written as a collaborative effort by all members of the LIFTE team. The booklet features short contributions on topics covered in the Bremerhaven and Stromness exhibition, such as ships, trading places, merchants and their families and various traded commodities. The booklets are available in German and English for €3 in the shops of the German Maritime Museum, Stromness Museum and soon also at Shetland Museum and Archives. Or contact Bart Holterman to see if he can send you a copy. Alternatively, free digital copies can be downloaded here in English and German.
Exhibition booklet Orkney and Shetland – Early Modern Trade in the Northern Isles
