▁Prize ▁for ▁Liter ature . ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁to ▁the ▁nob ility ▁ ▁The ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁Han se atic ▁and ▁noble ▁families ▁varied ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁most ▁republic an ▁city ▁was ▁Hamburg , ▁where ▁the ▁nob ility ▁was ▁b anned , ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁from ▁ow ning ▁property , ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁political ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁republic , ▁and ▁even ▁from ▁living ▁within ▁its ▁walls . ▁Hamburg , ▁however , ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁true ▁dem ocracy , ▁but ▁rather ▁an ▁o lig archy , ▁with ▁the ▁Han se aten ▁as ▁its ▁el ite ▁occup ying ▁the ▁position ▁held ▁by ▁noble ▁and ▁pr inc ely ▁families ▁elsewhere . ▁According ▁to ▁Richard ▁J . ▁Evans , ▁" the ▁wealth y ▁of ▁nin ete enth - century ▁Hamburg ▁were ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁stern ▁republic ans , ▁ab hor ring ▁titles , ▁ref using ▁to ▁accord ▁any ▁de ference ▁to ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁nob ility , ▁and ▁determined ly ▁loyal ▁to ▁their ▁urban ▁background ▁and ▁merc ant ile ▁her itage ." ▁Many ▁grand ▁burg h ers ▁considered ▁the ▁nob ility ▁inferior ▁to ▁Han se atic ▁families . ▁A ▁marriage ▁between ▁a ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁Han se atic ▁family ▁and ▁a ▁noble ▁was ▁often ▁und es ired ▁by ▁the ▁Han se aten . ▁From ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁being ▁integrated ▁into ▁a ▁German ▁nation ▁state , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Han se atic ▁families