Hanselabor - Local craftsmanship thought internationally.

HanseLabor is an initiative of designers and craftsmen in the lake district, which markets local products made from domestic materials internationally via digital networks.

HanseLabor combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and sustainable economy to promote regional value creation and shape rural areas to be future-proof.

The Hanselabor in Demmin – New Impulses from the Hanseatic Era for the Future

The historic Hanse was once a vibrant, international network for trade and culture – a model that still inspires us today. However, in many former Hanseatic cities, the significance of this heritage has faded. In Demmin, the suffix "Hansestadt" often only symbolizes a long-past era of prosperity. With the Hanselabor, we want to change this.

Our vision: Rethinking the old trade routes – through digital networks, creative collaborations, and inspiring events.

Local Products, Global Visibility

Instead of relying on mass-produced goods and anonymous supply chains, we are promoting a modern, small-scale form of globalization: Individual, regional products made from local materials, combined with creative ideas – and made visible to the world through the internet.

Our design furniture, developed in collaboration with local companies using regional raw materials, strengthens local value creation and, through our strong presence on social media, also reaches national and international markets.

Demmin as the Center of a New Hanseatic Network

The Hanselabor aims not only to operate internationally from Demmin but also to establish new connections with other Hanseatic cities and interested locations. Through the exchange of ideas, projects, and people, a new creative spirit of departure is to emerge – at least noticeable throughout Europe.

Despite structural challenges and limited purchasing power on site, we utilize the opportunities of online marketing: The members of our initiative have a combined reach of over 60,000 followers on Instagram – a strong foundation for digitally disseminating our content and reaching new target groups.

A Place for Ideas, Exchange, and the Future

We are currently developing an innovative utilization concept for a former department store in Demmin's city center – a building with history and potential. Currently 95% unused, it is to serve as the headquarters of the Hanselabor in the future: A place for creative work, cultural exchange, and economic impulses – from Demmin to the world.

Radiant Energy for Demmin and Beyond

Successful reference projects clearly show: The revitalization of historically and urbanistically relevant buildings has a positive impact on their surroundings. This is exactly what we aim to achieve with the Hanselabor in Demmin.

We are convinced that the reactivation of the old department store will not only bring new impulses for our initiative, but also make vacant retail spaces in the neighborhood attractive again - for creative minds, local manufacturers, and demanding entrepreneurs with vision.

Demmin as the Epicenter of a New Hanse

Thanks to its central location, unused local potential, unique building structure, and the open, solution-oriented attitude of the city society, we see Demmin as the ideal starting point for a new kind of Hanse. Our vision: to inspire people with similar values and ideas for our city - and to encourage them to consciously build their professional and entrepreneurial future in a livable environment like Demmin.

Together, we want to contribute to giving our Hanseatic city a new, optimistic profile - regionally rooted, digitally networked, and internationally effective.

The Hanselabor is more than an idea – it is already a lived reality. Together with local partners, creative professionals and committed citizens, we have implemented initial projects in a short time, which show how much potential Demmin has.

We are an interdisciplinary team of creative minds, makers and visionaries who have one thing in common: the firm belief in the power of local action and digital networking.

In the Hanselabor, we bundle our experiences from design, craftsmanship, culture, economy, urban development and communication to shape Demmin as a laboratory for a new Hanse - open, cooperative and forward-looking.