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the Victualbrothers These pirates/privateers are first mentioned in 1392. The brotherhood was formed for to help Albrekt of Mecklenburg against the Nordic queen Margareta. They soon went their own way, more or less, and for a period of years they were a power to be reckon with in the Baltic sea. They were organised as a guild or brotherhood and attracted people from all over Europe. Their main enemy was the town of Lübeck that supported Margareta. Their name comes from the latin ”victualia” meaning provisions and the german ”vitualie” meaning the same. This comes from their first mission wich was to bring supplies to the sieged town of Stockholm. Their famous motto read ”Godes vrende unde al der Werlt vyande” meaning: Gods friends and enemies of the whole world. Their escapades can be read in short below: 1393 they conquered the town of Bergen. 1394 they plundered the town of Malmö. 1394-1398 they occupied the town of Visby (so all those who think pirates arent ”period” during the Visby medieval festival week can kiss my rusty cutlass). They also occupied Friesland, Åbo, Viborg, Faxeholm, Styresholm and Korsholm for some time. They had safe havens in the cities of Rostock and Wismar. 1429 they plundered Bergen. Their without a doubt most famous leader was captain Störtebeker who got his name cause he could quaff FOUR litres of beer without taking the tankard from his mouth (Störtebeker means ”Stürtz den Becher” or in english: quaff that tankard). In the trial against him he tried to buy his freedom with a promise of a golden chain that stretched allaround the town and he claimed that the centre of his mainmast was made of solid gold. Many attempts have been made to find his treasures but none has been succesful.

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