Gaffel (Cologne)
A gaff in Cologne was an association of citizens that originated in one or more guilds . The name Gaffel comes from the two-pronged forks , the "gaffs", used at the festive meal together . The Gaffeln were the ruling political association in the city of Cologne from 1396 until the occupation by the French (1794). The gaffs can be seen as a mixture of brotherhood and trade association , as they were also obliged to look after their members and their families in emergency situations.
Development and description
EX COLlegio FAbrum TIgnariorum ("To the Quintus Vetinius Verus ... from the Collegium of Carpenters")
Many medieval Cologne institutions had their origins or their model in late Roman times. For example, there were two mayors each . The guilds and gaffs also had Roman-Cologne counterparts, as the Cologne tombstone of the carpenter Vetinius Verus proves. In this respect, not only the dominant gender, but also ordinary citizens, and looked hearty artisan tradition. These made up around 6-8 percent of the population in Cologne. They did not include, for example: women, clerics, jugglers, beggars, non-Catholics, maidservants and servants, journeymen, people with “dishonorable” professions such as hangmen, skinner , prostitute, bathers and their descendants.
A gaff did not have to be identical to a specific guild, it was also open to citizens who did not pursue any trade subject to a guild order , since every citizen had to join a gaff. In addition, some guilds were combined into a gaff. This included practically every citizen, which had the advantage that in cases of threats to Cologne from attackers, the gaffs could call their members and thus all citizens together for defense, which was a kind of conscription (since 1396) for all 18 to 70 year olds Cologne residents (including residents who were not citizens).
A “magistrate” elected for a year presided over the individual gaffs. The gaffs elected 36 of the 49 councilors of the city of Cologne. The remaining 13 councilors, the infirmity , were co-opted by the already elected citizens of Cologne from any gaff . The councilors' term of office was one year. Their re-election was only possible after two years. The council elected the two mayors from among its members. In the case of important decisions such as war and peace, the council had to call in two representatives from each of the gaffs, the forty-four.
Gaffs and weavers uprising
Some of the gaffs did not agree with the rough action taken by the weavers against decisions by the city council. So on November 20, 1371, the bloody weavers uprising on the Greek market, which the Gaffeln and their allies won against the weavers. On September 14, 1396, 22 gaffs signed the " Verbundbrief ", which created a kind of class-democratic constitution for Cologne. As a result, the gaffs took over political responsibility in Cologne from the sexes , the so-called Richerzeche in Cologne , the table community of the rich . In 1450, the Aacheners did the same as the Cologneers and decided on the so-called Aachen gaff letter .
The 22 gaffs (with number of seats)
Cloth production (Wollenhaupt), cloth trade and trade in general were the most economically important trades in the city. The trading gaffs had a total of five seats on the council, Wollenhaupt alone had four.
- Wollenhaupt (Wollenwebergaffel), associated guilds: Wollenweber, Tuchscherer, Weißgerber 4
- Eysenmarkt, Society of Merchants, perhaps originally the Iron Merchants' Guild 2
- Schwarzhaus (Schwartzhauß), associated guilds: blue linen dyers, woad merchants 2
- Goldschmidt (Goldschmiedegaffel), associated guilds: Goldschläger, Goldspinnerinnen 2
- Windeck, Society of Merchants on the Altermarkt, perhaps originally the corporation of England drivers 2
- Colored words (Buntwerkergaffel), associated guilds: Kürschner 2
- Himmelreich, corporation of merchants 2
- Binding makers, associated guilds: belt makers, wood turners, brush binders, needle makers, comb makers, Blechschlager 2
- Aren, associated guilds: Riemenschneiderzunft 2
- Fischamt (Fischmengergaffel), associated guilds: Fischmenger, Schiffer, Buchbinder 2
- Schmidt (Schmiedegaffel), associated guilds: blacksmiths, locksmiths, cutlers, piece caster, axis maker 2
- Signs and glass words (painters), associated guilds: painters, glaziers, saddlers 1
- Stonemasons (stonemasons and carpenters), associated guilds: stonemasons, carpenters, joiners, jug bakers, sculptors, picture cutters, leyers, plasterers 1
- Becker (Bäckergaffel), associated guilds: Baker 1
- Fleischhauer (Fleischer gaff), associated guild: Fleischer 1
- Schröder (Schneidergaffel), associated guilds: tailors, hat clothers 1
- Shoemakers (Schumacher + Löhrer), associated guilds: Shoemakers, old shoemakers, leather riders 1
- Sarworts (Sarwortgaffel Sar = Schar compare ploughshare, words = workers, so armaments workers) Associated guilds: armor makers, sword sweepers, barbers, glove makers, bag makers, hat makers, basket makers 1
- Kannengießer (Kannengießergaffel), associated guilds: Kannengießer, Hammacher, Seiler 1
- Fassbinder (Fassbindergaffel), associated guilds: Fassbinder 1
- Ziechenweber (linen weaver), associated guilds: drawing weavers, sartuchmakers, topcoat weavers, bomb basins, coffees, etc. Baratamt 1
- Brewer, Associated Guilds: Brewers 2
Guilds and trades outside the Gaffelverband: silk masters, silk makers, silk weavers, silk makers, trimmings, large fencers, small fencers, yarn makers, robe tailors, brandy burners, coffee burners, fencing masters and other smaller guilds.
Founding dates of the gaff houses
The gaffs met in inns or guild rooms, perhaps also in larger members' houses. With the increasing wealth of the associations, their own houses were also founded.
- 1306, Eisenmarkt. "Brussels on Heumarkt" (suburb, the north-eastern edge of the Heumarkt was called Eisenmarkt) later in several other places
- 1339, Neu-Windeck "on Altermarkt"
- 1401, goldsmiths. (Goldschläger, manufacturer of gold leaf and silverware) "To the golden horn, Unter Goldschmied"
- 1402, Descriptors and Glass Words. "To the tower (Rotstock) on Hohestrasse"
- 1404, linen weaver. "Ulard's house (zum walen Perde) at the wool kitchen" (old market)
- 1408, Schwarzhaus. "Ingelbrants Haus auf Hohestrasse" (Swartzenhuysse Schwarz (en) haus, Kaufleutegaffel)
- 1416, Kingdom of Heaven. "At the wink of heaven" (southern part of the suburb)
- 1422, Fischamt. "Fischamthaus in Hafengasse" (suburb)
- 1423, Schröder (wijnschrodere, Weinschröter , wine unloaders and transporters)
- 1425, colored words. (Kürschner) "Small Thoughts in the Cave" (1492 Above Marspforten)
- 1426, butcher. "1/2 Haus zum Sternen" (Heumarkt, Vorstadt)
- 1441–1539, the old Fassbinder house on Filzengraben was replaced in 1539 by a new guild or gaff house on the same street.
- 1452, sign maker, coat of arms sticker and saddle maker. "To the rose tree in Schildergasse"
- 1460, cloth shearers and woolen office. "Rennenberg auf Hochpforte"
literature
- Hermann Keussen : Topography of the city of Cologne in the Middle Ages. in 2 volumes. Cologne 1910. Reprint: Droste-Verlag, Düsseldorf 1986, ISBN 3-7700-7560-9 and ISBN 3-7700-7561-7 .
- Klaus Militzer: Gaffs, offices, guilds. Craftsmen and trade 600 years ago . In: Yearbook of the Cologne History Association . tape 67 , 1996, pp. 41-59 .
- Cologne population register from 1715, reprint and publication by the West German Society for Family Studies, New Series No. 17, Cologne 1981. (List of the individual gaffs)
Individual evidence
- ^ Arnold Stelzmann, Robert Frohn: Illustrated history of the city of Cologne . 11th improved edition. Bachem-Verlag, Cologne 1990, p. 155 .
- ↑ Arnold Stelzmann, p. 149 f.
- ↑ Arnold Stelzmann, Chapter Gaffeln, p. 130 ff
- ^ Hermann Keussen, Topography of the City of Cologne in the Middle Ages , Vol. IS 143
