Hanseatic
modern
Brotherhoods in Stade
A long tradition of social responsibility
To this day, there are four historical brotherhoods in the Hanseatic city of Stade. Three of them date back to the late Middle Ages, the youngest was founded in the 16th century. Caring for the poor is the unifying element of the Stade brotherhoods. People in need, the so-called ‘hidden poor’, were the main focus of the association from the outset, receiving charity and donations. People affected by calamities received individual, sometimes larger donations. To this day, all four brotherhoods celebrate their annual foundation festivals according to a set ritual. Today, donations collected at these events still benefit those in need. The brotherhoods organise the traditional Stade Hansemahl (Hanseatic banquet) every year.
St. Pankratii Brotherhood
An association of men from the St Pancratii parish in Stade founded the St Pancratii Brotherhood on the first Advent of 1414.
The aims of this association were to care for the poor, to provide for themselves if they became unable to work and to support widows and children. The money was raised using collection boxes that were displayed in pubs and various private homes. In 1753, for example, 150 people in need received welfare according to the records of the accounting brother. In addition, the residents of the smallpox house, the infirmary and St John’s monastery were also supported.
The brotherhood has maintained these objectives to this day, even though the St. Pankratii church – which stood on the castle hill between the old and new harbours – had to be demolished at the beginning of the 18th century.
St. Antonii Brotherhood
The St Antonii Brotherhood is the second oldest of the four existing brotherhoods in Stade. It was founded in 1439 in honour of God and the saints Antonius, Cosmaes and Damian.
The brotherhood was founded by nine citizens of Stade. Every Tuesday in the church of St Cosmae, they pledged to give eight poor people each a loaf of bread, a pound of bacon and some money. The number of members was initially limited to 24. It included members of the provincial administration as well as the knighthood. During the Swedish period, it was mainly senior civil servants who were represented in the brotherhood. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the brotherhood already had more than 24 brothers, most of whom were civil servants, military officers and lawyers. The brotherhood was no longer limited to direct donations. In the 17th century, for example, it supported the common city welfare fund. Even today, the purposes of the foundation, such as awarding charity, scholarships and support, have been preserved.
Brotherhood of the Rosary
The Brotherhood of the Rosary, which originally emerged as a prayer community, was first mentioned under this name in a document in 1482.
As the name indicates, its roots lie in the medieval veneration of the Virgin Mary and the associated communal prayer of the rosary. The brothers, merchants and craftsmen from Stade, transferred their devotion to active care for the poor. After the Reformation and the abolition of the Marian Mass in Stade, the support of people in need ensured the existence of the brotherhood as a moral and social obligation. The name was therefore extended to ‘Rosenkranz-Gottes-Hülfe-Brüderschaft’.
Merchants‘ and skippers’ brotherhood
The emergence of the brotherhood is a consequence of the rivalry between the two maritime trading cities of Hamburg and Stade, which reached its peak in the 16th century.
In 1556, grain shippers from Stade managed to break through the Hamburg blockade on the river Elbe with their convoy and were able to return to Stade unharmed. They sold the unused ammunition and used the proceeds to found the brotherhood, ‘for the good of the poor’, as the founding charter states. Since then, the brotherhood has selflessly helped wherever people are in need. The focus of its charitable activities has shifted in line with current emergencies. Today, the Brotherhood not only stands up for the most vulnerable members of society, but also promotes and maintains cultural values, preserves historical monuments and educates young people.