For another point of view, make sure you checkout my review:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10246.phtml
I originally gave Hansa a 4/4, and my estimation of the game has only gone up in the year and a half since. Hansa regularly makes it into my game day bag, moreso than almost any other 2004 release, thanks to its combination of serious strategic play with ease of teaching and short gamelength.
Shannon