Victual Brothers

The Victual Brothers, Vitalien Brothers or Vitalian Brethren (German: Vitalienbrüder,^: 146 Norwegian: Vitaliebrødrene) were a loosely organized guild of 14th century Germanic privateers. They initially included Mecklenburg nobility, but later became an organisation of commoners, and later evolved into piracy.^: 146ff The guild had a clear historical effect in that era on maritime trade in the North and Baltic Seas. As privateers, they provisioned blockaded locations and otherwise served as a naval contingent on behalf of regional rulers, with clients that included the Queen of Denmark, and rulers of Mecklenburg and East Frisia.^: 146f As their activities turned to piracy, the aims changed to personal enrichment.

The pledge of their adopted base of Gotland to the Teutonic Order by King Albert of Sweden led to Gotland's invasion and the destruction of Visby by Konrad von Jungingen and the Order in 1398. This disruption, the executions of some of their band in Hamburg, and the Hanseatic League's continuing effort to control and make safe trade on the Baltic Sea led to changing maritime influences and a decline of the band.

The Victual Brothers band either were sometimes known^: 147 or possibly became a somewhat distinct group known as the Likedeelers. Klaus Störtebeker was identified with both, as a subordinate in the Victual Brothers and as one in command in the Likedeelers.