▁named ▁the ▁" Free ▁and ▁Han se atic ▁City ▁Hamburg " ▁( ), ▁the ▁" Free ▁Han se atic ▁City ▁Bre men " ▁() ▁and ▁the ▁" Free ▁and ▁Han se atic ▁City ▁Lü beck " ▁( ), ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁merely ▁the ▁" H anse atic ▁City ▁Lü beck " ▁( ). ▁ ▁Hamburg ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁string ent ▁civ ic ▁republic s , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Han se at ics ▁preserved ▁their ▁constitution al ▁privileges ▁granted ▁in ▁ 1 1 8 9 ▁by ▁Frederick ▁I , ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor , ▁until ▁the ▁German ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 – 1 9 ▁and ▁the ▁We imar ▁Constitution . ▁Hamburg ▁was ▁strictly ▁republic an , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁dem ocracy , ▁but ▁rather ▁an ▁o lig archy . ▁ ▁The ▁Han se aten ▁were ▁regarded ▁as ▁being ▁of ▁equal ▁rank ▁to ▁the ▁( land ed ) ▁nob ility ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁Europe , ▁although ▁the ▁Han se aten ▁often ▁regarded ▁the ▁( r ural ) ▁nob ility ▁outside ▁the ▁city ▁republic s ▁as ▁inferior ▁to ▁the ▁( urban ▁and ▁often ▁more ▁aff lu ent , ▁and ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁view , ▁cultiv ated ) ▁Han se aten . ▁Thomas ▁Mann , ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁Lü beck ▁Han se atic ▁family , ▁port rayed ▁this ▁class ▁in ▁his ▁Nobel ▁Prize - win ning ▁novel ▁Bud den bro oks ▁( 1 9 0 1 ), ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁Nobel