Why did the Hanseatic League establish lighthouses and marker buoys?

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Hanseatic League Hanseatic port of Hamburg, manuscript illumination from the Hamburg City Charter of 1497.

The Hanseatic League established lighthouses, marker buoys, and trained pilots primarily to ensure the safety of their maritime navigation.1

Operating in the often dangerous and unpredictable conditions of northern and eastern Europe, the league’s merchants sought to secure their trade routes against both natural hazards and human threats. While a major objective of the league was the suppression of piracy and land robbery, these navigational aids were specifically implemented to protect their vessels and cargo, facilitating safer passage across the Baltic and North Seas. This commitment to infrastructure helped make the Scandinavian and German coasts some of the best-lighted areas in Europe by 1600.123