Sentence:  Discussions concerning economic activities of the <WSD>Hansards</WSD> often immediately turn to "kontors" and outposts. [...] At these junctions in the European trade network, the economic sphere, partly dominated by the <WSD>Hansards</WSD>, connected various trade regions with different economic and social cultures, goods, and customs. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A member of a (t=merchant guild), or a resident of a Hanse town.