Meet the Middle Ages
BackCommercial centres
In the 11th and 12th centuries, the commercial centres lay where people met. There would be a market-place in every region, and here people would meet to buy and sell at certain times of the year. There were permanent commercial centres in Ribe and Hedeby in Denmark, and in Köpingsvik and Löddeköpinge in Sweden.
The first missionaries often preached at the commercial centres. Soon churches were built there. The King had castles built at many of these places. He wanted to control the trade and make profits from it.
Some of these settlements grew into towns, for example Ribe. Most of them, however, disappeared in the 12th and 13th century. New towns were founded by the King. They were established in places which were easy to defend and were deep-going vessels could enter the harbour. In this way, the King took more control over his kingdom.