A historical title for a chief magistrate or leader of a hanse (merchant guild or the Hanseatic League), similar to a mayor or chief administrator.
From 'hanse' plus the Old German/Dutch 'grave' meaning 'count' or 'chief.' The term refers to the elected leader who administered a Hanseatic city or merchant association's affairs.
A hansgrave was basically the CEO of a medieval trading company that could command armies—it's a perfect example of how merchant power and political power were completely intertwined in medieval Northern Europe!
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