A city of north-central Germany northeast of Hamburg. A major Baltic port and industrial center, the present city dates from 1143 and was the leading town of the Hanseatic League after its designation as a free city in 1226. It retained that status until 1937. Population: 211,000.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
