Views of the Hanseatic cities of Lübeck and Hamburg in the 17th–18th centuries. From the beholding of a miracle to a spectacle

Abstract

German cities were actively depicted in early modern engraving due to the development of topography, history, journalism, and printing. Among the cities of the vast region of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, a special place was occupied by large centers of trade and culture — the Hanseatic cities. The article is devoted to a brief description of the evolution of the images of Lübeck and Hamburg in the German popular prints of the 17th–18th centuries. The indicated period is marked by the wide distribution of engraved views of these cities, and the urban theme in engraving and journalism goes through a peculiar way of development — from news about the appearance of the city, its history, and current agenda to an attraction in the genre of optical views.