Eva has lived in Beverley for forty years. She graduated from Münster University, Westphalia/Germany in medieval history. Now retired, her recent research has focussed on the economic, social and cultural history of Northern Europe.
Engaging with all sectors of the local community was at the heart of Eva’s career in Adult Education and as local authority officer in Hull. She developed externally funded projects across the Y&H region, which was a great opportunity to get to know the area.
Family connections and volunteering as chair of the Beverley-Lemgo Twinning Association for many years, inspired a long-standing fascination with the history and the modern network of the Hanseatic League. Eva is Talkfinder for the Beverley Civic Society and secretary of the ‘Friends of Hull General Cemetery’, a subcommittee of Hull Civic Society.
A native speaker of German, she enjoys being at home in two cultures.
Posts
Beverley and its Medieval Hanse Trade September 2020
Despite the mention of a hanse huis in Beverley’s ancient charter from 1120, by which the Archbishop of York granted civic privileges and market rights to the town, Beverley has never been a member of the medieval Hanseatic League. Nevertheless, the town was certainly connected to it through regular trade links and its burgesses did extensive business with Hanse merchants for hundreds of years.
Joseph Green and Robert Motherby – Hull Merchants and Kant’s Philosophy January 2021
An account of Yorkshire’s medieval trade links with the Baltic. They created a lasting network, not only for businesses and trade, but also for cross-cultural cooperation.
The story begins in former German city of Königsberg now called Kaliningrad and is part of the Russian Federation.
Hull History in Headstones revealed by residents. April 2021
Philip Larkin on his walk with John Betjeman through the disused Hull General Cemetery, (1964) declared it to be a natural cathedral. Over the years, it declined into an overgrown fly-tipping and drug abuse centre.
Enter a group of local residents in 2015. In the beginning they litter picked and disposed of the used syringes, but upon request, and with the support of local councillors, Hull City Council came to the rescue and now supplies litter bins, collects rubbish bags filled by the volunteers, and clears fly-tipped material.
The Merchants of Beverley and the Tudor Age January 2021
This sounds a very parochial title, but Renaissance Beverley was anything but parochial. Beverley merchants traded (and thus were influencers) across Europe – as far East as present-day Russia and south to Italy and beyond. Of course, it was two-way traffic and ideas on trade, religion and art found their way back to the north of England. We are unaware of this dialogue, because then as now, London was the hub. If you arrived by boat in London in the 16th century, you were aware of an extensive building complex with a tower, a large crane and steps down to the Thames waterfront – a complex covering 0.6 ha (1.3 acres).
Primitive Methodism in Hull – A celebration of William Clowes May 2021
The community of Clowes Memorial Methodist Church, Greenwood Ave, Hull, and Hull Civic Society, put together a calendar of events to celebrate the life and work of a charismatic missionary and preacher, who was based in Hull and from there walked many miles to deliver passionate sermons across the country.
William Clowes is one of 47 influential Primitive Methodists, who are buried in Prims Corner at the now disused, Hull General Cemetery.
Clive and Eva La Pensée 