Firstly, let me point out that when I say the challenge is to form Germany from the Hanseatic League, I actually mean the challenge is to form Germany from a Trading League which does not necessarily need to be the Hanseatic League. It's just that 'Hansa Germany' has more of a ring to it.
The original idea for this topic came from the old Map Continuation 3, where Northern Germany gradually consolidates into a single entity through a Hanseatic League turned alliance turned federation. I thought this kind of scenario would be very interesting to explore, including the politics of such an organisation and colonies being founded across the New World by a branch of a much larger trading league. It will likely be necessary to curtail the other Baltic powers, such as Sweden and Denmark, to allow the League room to shine. Of course, my knowledge of the Hansa itself is rather slim, so this is why I am asking the experts.
Your challenge, should you accept it, is to create a German trading league that manages to eventually for an analogue for Germany. It must also be able to compete with the primary colonial powers in both the Occident and the Orient, although not necessarily directly. It doesn't necessarily need to become the dominant colonial power, just a relatively successful one. There is a PoD limit, it is not allowed to be earlier that 1200 AD and no later than 1700 AD.
I know this challenge is difficult, and I'll probably get shouted at from some of the German members here, so you all are given leeway in terms of the birth this 'League' and its general success in unifying the whole of Germany. Anyway, enough of the chatter, what would you say would work best to achieve the challenge?