The Viking-era marketplace near modern Schleswig, Germany, was called Hedeby.
Hedeby, also known by its Old Norse name Heiðabýr, was a major trading settlement at the southern edge of the Scandinavian world. It stood near the base of the Jutland Peninsula, beside waterways connecting the North Sea and Baltic Sea systems. This location made it an important meeting point for merchants from Scandinavia, the Frankish lands, the British Isles, and eastern Europe.
Archaeological excavations have revealed streets, houses, workshops, imported goods, coins, and evidence of craft production. Traders handled items such as pottery, glass, metalwork, textiles, furs, and slaves. A defensive earthwork called the Danevirke protected routes through the region and linked Hedeby to wider Danish power.
Hedeby was not the same place as Birka in Sweden or Kaupang in Norway, although all three were Viking-era commercial centers. Hedeby declined after attacks and political changes in the 11th century. Its archaeological remains and reconstructed buildings are now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Danevirke.