The history of Osnabrück began in 780, when the Emperor Charlemagne founded a mission on the banks of the River Hase. In 1002, the Bishop of Osnabrück was granted a charter to hold a market, mint coins and collect customs dues. Osnabrück developed, as a member of the Hanseatic League from 1412 to 1669, into a cultural and commercial centre open to the world. The city now enjoys both formal and informal links with many parts of the world, including Angers (F), Çanakkale (TR), Derby (UK), Evansville (USA), Gmünd (A), Greifswald (D), Haarlem (NL), Kwangmyong (ROK), Twer (RUS), Vila Real (P) and Hefei (VRC).