Networks of Trading and Communication
Course code
AIG6341.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Majandus- ja kommunikatsioonivõrgustikud
Course title in English
Networks of Trading and Communication
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2026/2027 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Brief description of the course
The course examines the principal developments of the European economy, with particular attention to Estonia’s neighbours: Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. It considers the development of agriculture, industry, finance and trade. Students investigate Viking Age communication networks and trade routes and their influence on local culture. The course examines the Hanseatic economy, the emergence of the Hanseatic League, Livonia’s integration into Hanseatic trade and the role of local centres within it. Topics also include the emergence and significance of towns in Livonian economic life, craft guilds, merchant guilds and the urban economy, as well as domestic trade and relations between town and countryside. The study of finance covers monetary systems, domestic and foreign currencies and money transfers. The course also examines early modern economy and trade, new branches and modes of production, the rise of the Netherlands and England, and the decline of the Hanseatic League. It concludes by considering the emergence of postal services and road networks, printing and the early modern communications revolution.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- is familiar with the principal developments and stages of Estonian economic history;
- situates the Estonian economy within a broader European context;
- analyses the intermediary roles of trade and communication networks from a historical perspective.
- is familiar with the principal developments and stages of Estonian economic history;
- situates the Estonian economy within a broader European context;
- analyses the intermediary roles of trade and communication networks from a historical perspective.
Teacher
Kaarel Vanamölder
Study programmes containing that course