On May 24, 1370, the Treaty of Stralsund was signed, bringing an end to a prolonged conflict between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial confederation of northern German cities. The treaty marked a major victory for the Hanseatic League, securing its trading privileges in Scandinavia and establishing its dominance over Baltic commerce. The agreement represented the high point of the League's political and economic power in the region.

The Treaty of Stralsund and the rise of Hanseatic power were commemorated in a number of northern European chronicles and poems that celebrated the commercial and martial prowess of the League's cities. The treaty's celebration in Low German and Scandinavian poetry reflected the growing importance of vernacular literature in the region and the emergence of a distinct Hanseatic cultural identity. The treaty's literary legacy is also evident in the later works of German poets who drew upon the history of the League for themes of commerce, freedom, and civic pride.