Hamburg made its name as a port city, getting a charter from Friedrich I in 1189 that exempted the town from customs, making it a leading member of the Hanseatic League. Three rivers (the Elbe, Alster and Bille) cross the city, linked together by a slew of canals known as Fleete. Shipping was hit hard by both world wars: most of the fleet was given up as reperations following the first, and bombs took out much of the infrastructure during the second. It recovered quickly, though, and is now Germany's second largest city.