Wallace and Moray Declare Scotland’s Victory to Lubeck and Hamburg

1297 – Wallace and Moray Declare Scotland’s Victory to Lubeck and Hamburg

Following their pivotal victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Scottish leaders William Wallace and Andrew Moray send a letter to the mayors and merchants of Lübeck and Hamburg.

In the letter, written in Latin and dated 11 October 1297, they announce that, “by God’s grace, the kingdom of Scotland has been recovered by battle from the power of the English.” The message was intended to reopen trade and diplomatic ties with the Hanseatic League cities of northern Germany, signaling that Scotland was once again free and open for commerce.

This letter is one of the earliest surviving diplomatic documents from the Wars of Scottish Independence and reflects Wallace and Moray’s efforts not only to secure military victories but also to legitimize Scottish sovereignty on the international stage.

The original letter is now preserved in the Stadtarchiv Lübeck (Lübeck City Archives) and remains a powerful testament to medieval diplomacy, resistance, and the strategic vision of Wallace and Moray.