A kontor was a major foreign trading post of the Hanseatic League. Kontors were legal persons established in a foreign city, that means a city that did not belong to the Hanseatic League, with a degree of legal autonomy. Most kontors were also enclaves. They were located in London, Bruges, Bergen (Bryggen), and Novgorod (Peterhof).

A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, was an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded.